THREE-WHEEL MOTOR VEHICULAR ACCIDENTS ARE A COMMON OCCURRENCE, YET WE FOUND LITTLE PUBLICITY OR PUBLISHED RESEARCH DEDICATED TO EXPOSING THE DANGERS OF THIS POPULAR RECREATIONAL VEHICLE, AND MANUFACTURERS HAVE RELEASED FEW WARNINGS. IN A 3-YEAR PERIOD, 125 PATIENTS WERE SEEN IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT IN ONE EAST ALABAMA REFERRAL AREA, A FAR HIGHER RATE OF ACCIDENTS THAN CAUSED BY OTHER SIMILAR TYPES OF VEHICLES. THE MOST COMMON MECHANISM OF THESE ACCIDENTS WAS ROLLOVER OF THE MACHINE; FRACTURES WERE THE MOST FREQUENT INJURY SUFFERED. THE VERY YOUNG ARE COMMON VICTIMS. ACCIDENT PREVENTION MUST BEGIN WITH EDUCATION OF BOTH PARENTS AND CHILDREN ABOUT THE POTENTIAL DANGERS OF THREE-WHEELERS - THEY ARE, INDEED, DANGEROUS, UNSTABLE MACHINES.(Author/publisher).
Samenvatting