Forces required to operate controls on agricultural all-terrain vehicles: implications for youth

All-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes are among the leading causes of injury and death among youth in the agriculture industry. It is hypothesised that youth are involved in ATV-related incidents because they cannot effectively activate the vehicle's controls. This study evaluated potential discrepancies between the required activation forces of the controls of fifty-four utility ATVs and the strength of male-and-female youth of varying ages (6-20 years old) and strength percentiles (5th, 50th, and 95th). The activation forces of the ATVs' controls were measured experimentally, while the youth's corresponding strength was retrieved from the literature. The results of this study demonstrated a physical mismatch between the forces required to operate ATV controls and youth's strength. Turning the handlebar, pressing the footbrake, and pushing the ATV off are the most difficult tasks for ATV operation. These discrepancies compromise the youth's ability to ride ATVs, increasing their risk of crashes. Practitioner summary: Previous studies indicate that some youth engage in ATV incidents because they cannot activate the vehicle's controls. We measured the forces required to operate eight ATV controls and compared them with the youth's corresponding strength. Our results demonstrated physical mismatches between the forces required to operate ATV controls and the youth's strength.

Ability of youth operators to reach agricultural all-terrain vehicles controls

PROBLEM

Utility All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are one major cause of youth injuries and fatalities on farms. Utility ATVs have heavy weights and fast speeds that require complex maneuvering. Youth's physical capabilities may not be sufficient to perform those complex maneuvers correctly. Therefore, it is hypothesized that most youth engage in ATV-related incidents because they ride vehicles unfit for them. There is a need to assess ATV-youth fit based on youth anthropometry.

METHOD

This study focused on evaluating potential inconsistencies between the operational requirements of utility ATVs and the anthropometric measures of youth through virtual simulations. Virtual simulations were performed to assess 11 youth-ATV fit guidelines proposed by several ATV safety advocacy organizations (National 4-H council, CPSC, IPCH, and FReSH). In total, 17 utility ATVs along with male-and-female-youth of nine ages (8 to 16 years old) and three height percentiles (5th, 50th, and 95th) were evaluated.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated a physical mismatch between ATVs' operational requirements and youth's anthropometry. For example, male-youth aged 16 of the 95th height percentile failed to pass at least 1 out of the 11 fit guidelines for 35 % of all vehicles evaluated. The results were even more concerning for females. Female youth 10 years old and younger (from all height percentiles) failed to pass at least one fit guideline for all ATVs evaluated.

DISCUSSION

Youth are not recommended to ride utility ATVs.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This study provides quantitative and systematic evidence to modify current ATV safety guidelines. Furthermore, youth occupational health professionals could use the present findings to prevent ATV-related incidents in agricultural settings.