Tragic ATV Crash Kills One in Surry County, North Carolina (NC)
MOUNT AIRY, NC- Wxii12.com writes that a child was killed in a tragic crash in Mount Airy. The incident involved an ATV accident that occurred on Red Bush Road in the mid-afternoon.*
According to reports, a five-year-old boy was riding an ATV in his yard when the vehicle spun and rolled over, landing on top of the victim. The child was declared dead at the scene. Investigators stated that the boy was with his mother’s friend when the crash occurred. The child’s mother was at work.
ATVs are dangerous, and according to government reports, have killed over 15,000 people. One in five of those fatalities involved a child below the age of sixteen.
The government began tracking the deaths in the 1980s, and each year these vehicles have been involved in hundreds of deadly crashes. In the worst years, the death toll was higher than 800. The numbers are also deceptive, as they seem to show a decline in recent years. Instead of fewer deaths from off-roading vehicles, the drop really shows that some riders are switching to a similar type of vehicle called an ROV. Fatal crashes involving ROVs are kept track of separately.
Some of the greatest risks are caused by people taking ATVs onto paved roadways, where they are not intended to travel. More than fifty percent of deaths take place on roadways because, on the pavement, the low-pressure tires and the top-heavy design makes for a greater risk of rollovers.
While there have been attempts to make more safety regulations, many people who use these vehicles are strongly opposed to any government control. People are often too quick to permit people to drive these vehicles without any training.
Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes. To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.
Sources:
https://www.wxii12.com/article/field-notes-coronavirus-travel-restrictions-stranded-italy-chile-cruise/31961171
https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2019/04/05/atv-deaths-top-15000-threshold-in-latest-government-report/