Page 19 - Delaware Medical Journal - March 2017
P. 19
PUCBALSIEC RHEPAOLRTHT
restriction, helmet requirement, training requirement and passenger restrictions. However, while leading the ATV Safety Coalition, Nemours recognized the need to strike a balance between the AAP policy position regarded as the “gold standard” and a compromise policy change more feasible within the political environment with the potential to have an appreciable impact on the rate of pediatric ATV-related injuries in Delaware. Regardless of this policy approach, Nemours clinicians continue to support the AAP policy position and advise children under 16 not to ride ATVs.
Additionally, it was a novel concept for Nemours and the other trauma system hospitals to collaborate with an ATV dealer in the push to promote ATV safety for children in Delaware. The ATV
dealer engaged in the Coalition acted
as a liaison to other dealers, sharing the Coalition’s position statement with them for input. He supported the Coalition’s education efforts by displaying and disseminating informational materials in his dealership and providing a mannequin and protective gear for display at the ATV Safety Coalition’s exhibit at the Delaware State Fair.
Nemours and the ATV Safety Coalition advocated for the strengthened regulations as one component of a larger comprehensive campaign for ATV safety. During the legislative process, the Coalition and legislators alike agreed that education and training are also critical to encouraging safe ATV riding behaviors. To that end, members of the Coalition continue to educate on the
risks associated with child use of ATVs and promote safe riding tips through various venues, including community events and exhibits at the Delaware State Fair. Additionally, they supported the establishment of an ATV Safety Institute-sponsored training program in Delaware, which has been one of only three states without an ATV Safety Institute training program.
Finally, the challenges associated with enforcement of these new regulations must be acknowledged. The absence
of legal ATV riding areas on public land in Delaware poses a challenge to enforcement. In Delaware, enforcement efforts extend to private land, which
is where the majority of ATV-related injuries occur. The active engagement of law enforcement agencies in the ATV
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