ATV bill is bad idea

Mark A. Brandenburg

Once again, certain Oklahoma lawmakers are pushing for legislation that would weaken all-terrain vehicle (ATV) safety laws on the books. Having conducted/published research in this area and having worked with medical and public health officials throughout Oklahoma on the ATV issue, I am appalled. Our representatives can find better things to do with our taxpayer money than write legislation that will result in more deaths and injuries to Oklahomans, many of whom will be children.

Research has shown that a great percentage of the nearly 10,000 ATV crash deaths in the United Stats have occurred on roadways. Here in Oklahoma in just the last 22 months, 17 ATV riders were killed on roadways — five of these killed were children.

The majority of ATV crashes on Oklahoma roadways would not be prevented by modifying these vehicles. Rollovers account for 40 percent to 45 percent of ATV crashes and there has been no evidence to show that the vehicle design changes will prevent rollovers. In addition, the small size of these vehicles makes them far less visible to drivers of automobiles. Passing a law that would make it legal to operate ATVs on Oklahoma roadways would cause the number of deaths, disabilities and serious injuries on ATVs to skyrocket.

The cost of unreimbursed trauma care in Oklahoma is already being shouldered by Oklahoma taxpayers. If ATVs become street legal in Oklahoma, prepare for yet another increase in our state taxes to pay for the emergency and long-term medical care of ATV crash victims.

I would ask all Oklahomans to take notice of which legislators are promoting the idea that it would be safe to operate ATVs on Oklahoma roadways. Before this effort takes hold in our Legislature next year, let’s ask Oklahoma lawmakers to work on improving access to quality health care and making health insurance more affordable, rather than focus on backward-moving legislation that drives the costs of health care even further out of reach for many Oklahomans.

Brandenburg, an emergency physician in Tulsa, is chairman of the Oklahoma Injury Prevention Advisory Committee.

Source: http://newsok.com/atv-bill-is-bad-idea/article/3314056

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