Off-road vehicles not safe for kids, Canadian Paediatric Society warns [Video]

The Canadian Paediatric Society is calling for better regulation and safety measures to protect kids riding off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides.

The society says children and adolescents make up about a third of off-road vehicle deaths.

In a statement released today, it says federal, provincial and territorial governments should regulate the use of off-road vehicles the same way they do cars.

The pediatric society says those regulations should require kids to be at least 16 years old to drive the vehicles and 12 years old to be a passenger.

They should also make wearing government-certified helmets mandatory, as kids and teens not wearing one are five times more likely to suffer severe head or neck injuries.

The society says off-road vehicles are specifically designed to be used on dirt trails and in forested areas and should never be driven on hard-surface roads.

Research suggests that being younger than …