The recent deaths of two people riding all-terrain vehicles provide reminders for residents in Alabama to take care and precaution when enjoying recreational vehicles. Earlier this month, a 12-year-old girl was killed when an ATV flipped on her. The next morning, a 23-year-old man's body was found near another ATV, in a separate accident.

While the percentage of fatalities from ATV accidents may be relatively low, two fatalities in one weekend have hit the victims' communities hard. According to a doctor and professor of emergency medicine, most personal injuries are caused by riders not wearing protective headgear. Although ATVs go much faster than bicycles, many do not wear helmets and some states do not have adequate safety laws in effect. That doctor said that 14 percent of the traumatic brain injuries she sees are from recreational vehicle accidents -- 21 percent are from ATV accidents.

Across the United States, laws concerning ATVs and their use vary greatly. In some states, young riders must be supervised by an adult. Other states require the use of protective headgear. In Alabama, there is no minimum age to drive an ATV.

The two latest victims died under different circumstances. The young girl, who was as sixth-grader, was riding with her brother who is 5-years-old. She lost control of the vehicle, according to the highway patrol. She was not wearing a helmet.

The young man who was killed in the other accident was an avid outdoorsman. Among other outdoor hobbies, he loved to go four-wheeling. In a previous accident, his hearing was damaged and he was unable to join the military as a result. He had just received a welding certificate from a local college. The time of his accident has not been determined, but a report from the highway patrol states that the ATV he was riding hit a dirt embankment next to a highway.

Source: Ocala.com, "Two weekend deaths highlight ATV dangers," Anne Geggis, Jan. 9, 2012