ATV accidents took 555 lives in '06
MANY COMPLAINTS: Industry says it's not the vehicle but the driver that's the problem.
By JENNIFER C. KERR
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- At least 555 people -- including more than 100 children -- died in all-terrain vehicle accidents in 2006. Government safety officials expect the number to go much higher as they receive information from coroners and hospitals nationwide.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that an additional 146,600 people were treated in emergency rooms for ATV-related injuries -- more than a quarter of them children.
Consumer groups and parents have complained for years about the safety of ATVs, especially when children ride adult-size vehicles.
The industry contends that it's not the vehicle but the driver that's the problem.
"ATVs have never been shown to be an unsafe product, but there have been bad decisions made by people sitting on the seat," said Mike Mount, a spokesman for the California-based Specialty Vehicle Institute of America.
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