Does Age Restrictive Legislation for Use of Off-Road Vehicles Make A Difference on Injury Rates in Children? :

The use of an off-road vehicle (ORV) by an older child or teen is a concern for all of us as pediatricians given how much we focus on injury prevention. Yet preventing children and teens from using these devices is easier said than done unless a state is willing to pass a law setting age restrictions on their use. Such has been the case in Massachusetts where in 2010, that state  passed a law restricting ORV use in children under 14 and regulating when ORVs can be used for those between 14 and 18 years of age.  Did this law make a difference?  Flaherty et al. (10.1542/peds.2017-1164) looked at this question in a study we are releasing this week.  The authors performed a retrospective observational study of emergency department and inpatient discharges before (2002-2010) and after (2011-2013) passage of this law to see if there was a decrease in ED visits and inpatient admissions. The good news is there were significant decreases in both settings with declines ranging from 33% in 0-9 years olds to 50% in 10-13 year olds and similar drops in hospital discharges once the law was implemented.  If your state has not as yet passed similar legislation, drive on-road or off-road to your local legislator and show him or her the results of this article so they might move forward with legislation that would do for your state what it has done for those living in Massachusetts.  Fasten your seat belt and read this important study to learn more.