Ride-on mower injuries in children. (Committee on Accident and Poison Prevention report)

• Published in: Pediatrics (Evanston) 1990-07, Vol.86 (1), p.141
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amputation; Causes of; Children; Children's accidents; Fractures; Fractures (Injuries); Health aspects; Injuries; Lawn mowers; Pediatric injuries; Safety and security measures; Wounds and injuries
• ISSN: 0031-4005

Ride-on mower or lawn tractors are commonly used in the United States for mowing lawns and fields, with an estimated 7.7 million mowers operating each year. The risk of injury and death to children from these mowers is high, but can be prevented. There are approximately 19,100 accidents and 75 deaths a year from these mowers. About 7 percent of all injuries require hospitalization. Two-thirds of the accidents occur when the mowers are in use, including mowing, driving, or operating the nonmowing parts. The remaining one-third of the accidents occur when the mowers are being stored, moved from a towing trailer, maintained, climbed on, or played with in storage. Approximately 83 percent of the injuries involve the operators, and the remaining 17 percent involve passengers or bystanders. Most of the nonoperators injured are less than 10 years old, and the most common causes of injury are being run over by the mower and falls from the mower. The most frequent injuries are cuts, amputations and fractures, with fingers being the most commonly injured part of the body. Most deaths result when the blade of the mower hits the head or chest. A Committee on Accident and Poison Prevention of the American Academy of Pediatrics has established recommendations for the prevention of injuries to children. Parents must be educated on the frequency, severity, and most common means of injuries from ride-on-mowers. Children should not be allowed to play in areas where the vehicle is used, and should not be allowed to ride on the mower or mower trailer. Minimum age and training requirements should be established for operating the mowers; the committee recommends that the operator be at least 14 years old. Manufacturers should also develop a safer vehicle. Safety information should be provided with the mower, and warning labels with safety requirements should be put on the vehicles. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)