Alaskans between the ages of 12 to 15 had the highest rate of all-terrain vehicle, or ATV, crash injuries, compared to other age groups. That’s according to data from emergency department visits, from 2019 to 2024, in a bulletin released by the state public health division.
Riley Fitting, an injury epidemiologist for the state, said it’s a good reminder that even if a kid isn’t driving an ATV, it’s important for them to wear protective gear.
“We saw very frequent injuries, like the specific injuries associated with ATV related visits for lacerations, traumatic brain injuries, bone fractures, and those (emergency department) visits being common among youth,” Fitting said.
He said riders should wear helmets, boots and long pants and sleeves.
The North and Southwest regions of the state had the highest rates of injury from ATV crashes, Fitting said, likely because more Alaskans ride ATVs for transportation in those areas.
Alaskans also die from ATV injuries at about four times the rate of people in the Lower 48, according to the bulletin. Fitting said that’s also likely a reflection of how much Alaskans use ATVs for transport.
“Not all places in Alaska have roads that we can drive on, so often we have to rely on these machines to go over uneven terrain, snow, terrain that has water maybe running over it that's shallow enough,” he said. “In essence, we rely on these machines.”
43% of injuries in the state occurred among ATV passengers, so Fitting said it’s important that Alaskans don’t overload an ATV with more people than capacity.
