Assessing public opinion regarding potential ATV-related policies.

PROBLEM: States with laws regarding ATV use and safety have lower mortality and injury rates than states with few or no restrictions. Our objective was to assess the attitudes of registered Ohio voters concerning potential legislation regarding ATV use and safety to determine the feasibility of its enactment.

METHOD: A statewide telephone survey of 838 registered Ohio voters was conducted and results were weighted by region to accurately represent all Ohio voters.

RESULTS

Registered voters were in favor of restricting the use of ATVs by children <16 years (81%), prohibiting passengers on ATVs (81%), requiring helmets (78%), and requiring all ATV owners and users to take a safety class (77%). ATV riders indicated that a mandatory helmet law would increase helmet use.

IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Assessing public opinion regarding public health and safety laws is a critical first step when considering legislation to improve ATV safety.