Background. Most types of off-road vehicles (ORVs; this includes snowmobiles, all-terrainvehicles (ATVs), and dirt bikes) were originally used for work and travel. Such use remainscommon in Canada, although their recreational use has also gained popularity in recent years.An epidemiological injury profile of ORV users is important for better understanding injuries andtheir risk factors to help inform injury prevention initiatives. The Traffic Injury ResearchFoundation (TIRF) partnered with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to study theepidemiology of ORV-related injuries.Aims. The primary aim was to analyse crash and injury data in Canada, including the extent ofalcohol involvement. Secondly, the burden of injury among children and teen ORV drivers inCanada, as well as passengers, was investigated.Methods. Descriptive epidemiological statistics were generated using three data sources: first,TIRF’s National Fatality Database, which is a comprehensive, pan-Canadian, set of core dataon all fatal motor vehicle crashes; second, TIRF’s Serious Injury Database, which containsinformation on persons seriously injured in crashes; and, third, PHAC’s Canadian HospitalsInjury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP), a surveillance system currently operatingin the emergency departments of 11 paediatric and four general hospitals across Canada.Results. Between 1990 and 2010, fatality rates per 100,000 population increased amongATV/dirt bike operators while the fatality rate among snowmobilers declined. Of particularconcern, among fatally injured female ATV users, children aged 0-15 years comprised thehighest proportion of any age group at 33.8%. Regarding alcohol use, among fatally injuredsnowmobile and ATV/dirt bike operators tested for alcohol, 64% and 59% tested positive,respectively. Alcohol involvement in adult ORV crashes remains an important factor.Discussion and conclusions. While no data were available in this study regarding the permileagerisk associated with the use of ORVs, it is clear that this risk is not insignificant. The useof ORVs can be dangerous, as reflected by the fatality and serious injury data available forCanada. Of great concern, alcohol seems to be an important contributing factor to this problem.In light of the growing popularity of ORVs, prevention and mitigation measures are required toaddress this issue.
展开▼
