• Teresa O'Connor, Heather Hanks, and Dale Steinhardt.
• School of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia. teresa.oconnor@jcu.edu.au
• Aust J Rural Health. 2009 Oct 1;17(5):251-6.

ObjectiveTo define characteristics of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes occurring in north Queensland from March 2004 till June 2007 with the exploration of associated risk factors.DesignDescriptive analysis of ATV crash data collected by the Rural and Remote Road Safety Study.SettingRural and remote north Queensland.ParticipantsForty-two ATV drivers and passengers aged 16 years or over hospitalised at Atherton, Cairns, Mount Isa or Townsville for at least 24 hours as a result of a vehicle crash.Main Outcome MeasuresDemographics of participants, reason for travel, nature of crash, injuries sustained and risk factors associated with ATV crash.ResultsThe majority of casualties were men aged 16-64. Forty-one per cent of accidents occurred while performing agricultural tasks. Furthermore, 39% of casualties had less than one year's experience riding ATVs. Over half the casualties were not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Common injuries were head and neck and upper limb injuries. Rollovers tended to occur while performing agricultural tasks and most commonly resulted in multiple injuries.ConclusionsConsiderable trauma results from ATV crashes in rural and remote north Queensland. These crashes are not included in most general vehicle crash data sets, as they are usually limited to events occurring on public roads. Minimal legislation and regulation currently applies to ATV use in agricultural, recreational and commercial settings. Legislation on safer design of ATVs and mandatory courses for riders is an essential part of addressing the burden of ATV crashes on rural and remote communities.

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