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Keeping Kids Safe: Legislation to Restrict ATV Use to Age 16 or Older
Background
All-terrain vehicles, commonly known as "ATVs," can go up to 60 miles per hour and weigh close to 600 pounds. ATVs don't have seat belts or a protective structure to prevent injury in a roll-over. These factors come together to create, as described by the American Academy of Pediatrics, "the perfect recipe for tragedy." And, for many children, this has sadly been the case. Nationwide, over 40,000 children are injured each year by ATVs. Children lack the physical strength, motor skills, and judgment needed to be able to safely operate an ATV, particularly over uneven terrain. The South Carolina Children's Hospital Collaborative strongly advocates legislation to restrict ATV riding to individuals age 16 years or older. Many individuals in the state, however, disagree with this position, and it is highly unlikely that a law can be passed to keep children from riding ATVs. In recognition of this dissent, SCCHC supports any legislation that will improve the safety of ATVs for children.
Last year, the General Assembly passed S.797, a bill known as "Chandlers Law." Chandler's Law is named after Steven "Chandler" Saylor, a 14 year old student from Swansea who was killed in an ATV accident in 2003. Legislation proposed in his memory would require children to ride age-appropriate ATVs, wear safety equipment, and complete ATV safety education courses. Unfortunately, the bill was vetoed by the governor who cited enforceability concerns. In recognition of the importance of this issue, the Senate has amended the bill's language to address the governor's concerns. The bill is currently on the Senate's calendar, awaiting action. SCCHC supports S.797 and believes it is an important first step to keeping our children safe.
Children's Safety Network: ATV Safety Fact Sheet
Contact Your Legislator
Sample ATV letter (DOC)
To identify your South Carolina legislators, use the following link:
http://www.scstatehouse.net/cgi-bin/zipcodesearch.exe
To find the contact information for a Representative, use the following link: (Click on name to see e-mail address.)
http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/housemembers.html
To find the contact information for a Senator, use the following link: (Click on name to see e-mail address.}
http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/senatemembers.html
Links
Senate bill: "Chandler's Law" - S.797
Concerned Families for ATV Safety
SafeKids USA: ATV Recommendations
American Academy of Pediatrics Position Statement (PDF)
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