DOHA: As the number of ATV-related injury victims are on constant rise every year since 2010, Hamad Trauma Center’s Hamad Injury Prevention Program has advised campers especially children to adopt cautionary attitude during ongoing camping season.
A report that combines data from Al Wakra Hospital’s Emergency Department, Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Ambulance Service, and the Hamad Trauma Center, reveals that during each year between 2010 and 2017 the Qatar Trauma Registry recorded a 25 percent annual increase in the number of ATV-related injury victims admitted to the National Trauma Center.
The greatest increase was child victims, which made up 40 percent of those injured. There was also a 34 percent increase in the number of female victims. With the winter months approaching and camping season having officially begun, the Hamad Trauma Center’s Hamad Injury Prevention Program (HIPP) is warning about the risks of unsafe ATV use.
“Each year more than 75 ATV-related injury victims sustain severe injuries to their head, chest, extremities, and abdomen. These injuries are severe enough to require surgery or ICU admission. Children and females are most at risk of injury because they often do not have the necessary weight and strength to adequately control an ATV moving at high speed. For these reasons, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons does not recommend that children younger than 12 years of age operate ATVs,” said Dr Rafael Consunji, Director of the HIPP.
Al Wakra Hospital’s Emergency Department receives between 35 and 40 patients each year with ATV-related injuries. The most commonly injured parts of the body are the arms and head, with most victims of ATV accidents having abrasions on their chest, arms, legs, and back.
Dr Consunji said it is strongly recommended that all ATV drivers, and passengers, are fully clothed, wearing goggles, gloves, and boots, and using a helmet every time they operate an ATV. One-third of the victims of ATV accidents are children under 18 years of age, with around 40 percent having been injured while riding as passengers. Dr Consunji says it is important to remember that ATVs are designed for only one user.
“ATVs are not designed to be used for transporting passengers and control of the vehicle is made more difficult with a passenger on board. Riding with or as a passenger increases the chance that weight imbalance and instability will occur. Weight imbalance and instability are common causes of crashes and rollovers,” said Dr Consunji.
He said ATV’s are heavy, complex machines that most children are not developmentally capable of safely operating.
Dr Consunji said the size, power, and weight of an ATV requires complex decision-making, impulse control, and strength, which are not present in young children.
“December, which is traditionally the peak of the camping season, is when Hamad Trauma Center begins to see more patients who are injured while riding ATVs,” says Dr Consunji.
Representatives from the Hamad Trauma Center, Al Wakra Hospital, and the Ambulance Service all agree that driving an ATV in Qatar should not be risky. They agree that there are clear lessons that can be learned from the experiences of the victims of ATV-related accidents and say it is the responsibility of all to apply these lessons. Other safe camping recommendations include ensuring tents are made of materials that are resistant to fire, heat, and cold, there is a distance of at least five meters between them and cooking areas and fire-pits are placed away from the tents. Smoking in areas where fires could start should also be avoided.
Portable propane stoves should be turned off when not in use, fuel canisters should be stored safely, and safety equipment like fire extinguishers, fire blankets, and first-aid kits should be easily and readily accessible. It is also recommended to keep a close eye on the activities of young children.
