Take precautions if riding ATVs or skateboards

Safety was the order of the day at the second annual Safety Camp at Backus Hospital Saturday May 13. Many interactive safety programs were offered.

Four deaths. Two serious injuries. Twenty minutes.

That was the scenario on a recent spring afternoon in Connecticut, with all of the damage done to people riding All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), said Gillian Mosier, RN, Trauma Center Manager at Backus Hospital.

Ms. Mosier, who recently organized Safety Camp for families, said the popular fourwheel, off-road vehicles can be very dangerous, as can other summer activities, such as skateboarding.

She has seen an increase in trauma patients at Backus in recent months – several related to ATV crashes – so she urges people to adopt safety precautions. While it is best to avoid ATVs altogether, if you do ride them, be sure to wear a helmet and supervise children under 16, Mosier said.

Skateboarding is another increasingly popular summer pastime, and with this popularity has come more injuries.

Nearly 16,000 people per year visit hospital emergency rooms with skateboard-related injuries, the majority of them boys under the age of 15, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Ms. Mosier said locally, she has seen cases in which skateboarders sustain serious traumatic injuries, some with lifelong implications.

Skateboarding safety tips

The National Safety Council, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and Backus Hospital’s Trauma Center offer these skateboarding tips:

  • Wear protective equipment such as closed, slip-resistant shoes, helmets, and specially designed padding.
  • Padded jackets and shorts are available for skateboarders, as well as padding for knees, elbows, and wrists.
  • While wearing protective gear cannot fully protect from fractures, wearing it can reduce the number of severe cuts and scrapes.
  • Helmets should always be worn and properly fit. A chinstrap should be attached and the helmet should not block the vision or sight of the rider.
  • If you are losing your balance, crouch down on the skateboard so you will not have as far to fall.
  • If you do fall, try to land on the fleshy parts of your body, and try to roll rather than absorb the entire force of the fall with your arms.
  • When falling, try to relax your body, rather than stiffening up.
  • Always give your board a safety check before riding.
  • Never ride in the street.
  • Obey local laws and traffic regulations for skateboarding.
  • Only have one person per skateboard.
  • Complicated tricks should be practiced in designated areas, such as skateboard parks. In Norwich, there is a skateboard park located on Mahan Drive.
  • Practice falling on soft surfaces or grass.

Dr. B-Well

Whether you are on a bicycle, skateboard or ATV this summer, stay safe and wear a helmet!

Look for Dr. B-Well's timely advice every month in Healthy Connections.