All-terrain vehicle exposure and the association of certified training on adolescent safety behaviors and crash experiences

BACKGROUND: Certified training courses in all-terrain vehicle (ATV) operation are recommended, but little has been published regarding how they affect riding behaviors. Our objectives were to determine adolescents’ ATV riding exposures, crashes and injuries, and the association of completing certified ATV training on riding behaviors. METHODS: Respondents completed an anonymous paper survey at 30 school districts approximately one year after participating in the Safety Tips for ATV Riders (STARs) program. Survey data were compiled using Qualtrics™. Frequency, chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, and logistic regression analyses were performed using SAS, V.9.4. RESULTS: 4,891 students completed the survey from Fall 2012–Fall 2019. Respondents were 10–18 years old, and similar numbers of participants were male and female. Fifty-nine percent lived in town, 18% on a farm, and 22% in the country but not on farm. Forty-two percent reported their families owned an ATV. Seventy-seven percent had ridden an ATV, 40% of whom reported riding at least weekly. The vast majority (94%) used ATVs for recreation and 49% used them for work purposes. In the previous year, 22% of riders reported having been in a crash, with 7% of crash victims requiring medical attention for injuries. Greater crash likelihood was seen in males, recreational riders, more frequent riders, competitive racers and those who had ridden with passengers or on roads. Only 8% of riders had completed certified ATV safety training (note, STARs is not a certification program). Those whose families owned ATVs, more frequent riders, and public park users had greater likelihoods of course completion. Relative to their peers, respondents who completed a certification course had higher proportions that always/almost always wore helmets (39% vs. 20%, p < 0.0001) and lower proportions that never/almost never wore helmets (29% vs 58%, p < 0.0001), had ridden with passengers (63% vs. 96%, p < 0.0001), and had driven on public roads (41% vs 50%, p = 0.0065). CONCLUSIONS: ATV safety training certification among Iowa adolescents in the study was infrequent but those that received training reported higher helmet use, less riding with passengers, and less driving on public roads. These data suggest completing safety training certification may promote safer riding behaviors among youth.