NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — With some hunting seasons underway and temperatures cooling, medical professionals at Nashville trauma centers have started preparing for an increase in all-terrain vehicle crashes.

“We’ve seen an increase in these type of injuries over September, October. October has been a high month for us,” said Dr. Darrell Hunter, Trauma Director for TriStar Skyline Medical Center.

In August, a 17-year-old was killed in Antioch when their ATV collided with an SUV. Looking beyond Tennessee, just last week the CEO of LendingTree died in a solo ATV crash in North Carolina.

“People who ride the ATVs are unprotected a lot of times, and they’re high-speed accidents, so they end with a lot of significant injuries,” Hunt explained. “...We see a lot of significant brain injuries with people unconscious when they come in. We also have had some patients who are paralyzed from their injuries.”

Hunt said ATV, or side-by-side, drivers need to always wear a helmet and other protective gear.

“We see a lot of injuries where patients don’t have a lot of immediate help," Hunt said. "Always let someone know where you are."

Most often, Doctor Hunt said ATV injuries will lead to broken arms or legs. Many of them involve kids: national data shows that roughly 25% of ATV accidents involve people 16 or younger.

So far this year, data from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security reveals there have been 14 deadly crashes involving an ATV. Of those, 11 involved riders who were not wearing either a seatbelt or a helmet.

Last year, there were 19 ATV rider fatalities; only 5 of those riders had on a helmet or seatbelt, according to that same data. 

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-news/preparing-atv-crash-increase/