Canadian Medical Journal Gets in on the Statistical Smoke Screen

Filed in archive ATV , Legislation/Environment News , News , Rants on July 30, 2007

Canadian Medical Journal is jumping on the mis-information bandwagon. They headlined an article titled:

ATV injuries rise 50% as other types decline

In the article, they state that ATV related hospitalizations increased by a whopping 50% in 5 years. Yet they cite themselves an increase in ATV sales by 300% in 1 year.

They say speed, safety gear and lack of training is the cause of the alarming increase in injuries, err, wait, I mean... the actual DECLINE of injuries when you consider the REAL numbers. Gee, do you think maybe that 300% INCREASE IN ATV SALES IN ONE YEAR (which probably equates to at least a 600% to 1000% increase over that same 5 year period) might have something to do with the 50% INCREASE IN ACCIDENTS OVER FIVE YEARS??

So in reality, when they proclaim that ATVs account for only 1.3% of injuries, they're really trying to say that people are being more responsible and getting hurt less. Only they don't want you to know that.