By AP
Frankfort, KY – Advocates for increased safety on all terrain vehicles are calling for a statewide law that would at least require children 16 and younger to wear helmets.
Kentucky has been among the nation's top states in the number of ATV deaths and injuries.
Doctor Roger Humphries is the chairman of the Emergency Medicine Department at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. He says children and teens younger than 16 are perhaps the most vulnerable because they often lack the physical strength and cognitive development needed to safely maneuver the off road vehicles.
Similar measures have been proposed in previous sessions of the general assembly but have stalled. Advocates are hoping that changes when lawmakers return to Frankfort early next year.
Kentucky had 109 ATV related deaths between 2000 and 2002, the highest number of fatalities in the country. The numbers were based on statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.