Trauma specialists at Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH) are sounding the alarm about the dangers of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) after an analysis showed a 50 per cent jump in injuries in 2025 compared to the previous decade.
According to MCH data, in 2025, about 40 per cent of ATV-related injuries seen at the MCH Trauma Centre were serious and required hospitalization.
At the MCH centre, ATV-related cases include traumatic brain injuries, spinal trauma, chest, abdominal and pelvic trauma, facial/dental trauma and limb fractures.
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Debbie Friedman, director of the Trauma and Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) at MCH and McGill University professor, said that the cases were not limited to rural areas.
About 70 per cent of the cases at the centre were from Greater Montreal and surrounding regions.
“ATVs are simply not toys — and they are not safe to be driven by children and young teens,” Friedman said. “There are specific laws in place related to ATV use that need to be followed and we want to ensure that the public is aware.”
According to Quebec law, helmets, gloves and protective gear are required while operating an ATV. Riders must be at least 16 years old.
“While Quebec’s regulatory framework provides clear minimum standards for ATV use on public roads and trails, awareness and application of these rules seem to remain inconsistent in practice,” the MCH statement said.
More than three-quarters of the injuries were in teens aged between 12 and 18, with the youngest being two-years-old.
Nearly two-thirds of patients were not wearing a helmet when they got injured.
In February 2025, the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) issued a statement strongly advising that children under 16 should not operate or ride as passengers on ATVs.
Liane Fransblow, injury prevention coordinator at the MCH Trauma Centre, echoed those recommendations.
“ATVs are powerful, heavy machines that require adult strength and judgment to handle safely,” Fransblow said. “Children and teens are simply not ready for that responsibility. We see the preventable devastating consequences all too often.”
MCH recommends the following to prevent injuries:
“We must change the perception that these vehicles are harmless fun for children,” Friedman added,“The risks of serious injury are just too high.”
