Who knows all about ATV accidents? No one.

"CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — State legislators may consider requiring owners of all-terrain vehicles to obtain permits and adding more safety requirements for children as a way to curb the state’s record death toll."

Before we go enacting new laws on ATV safety, can we first try to get a handle on what the real problem is? There is no organized tracking of ATV accidents and fatalities anywhere within local, state or federal government. All we have is incomplete information compiled by news organizations. ATV accidents, particularly fatal ones and ones with injuries requiring hospitalization, should be tracked with the same precision as auto accidents.

Then we can enact appropriate legislation to address the real problems on ATV safety. For all we know, new laws will aim at the wrong target and make things worse, as the present law did in 2004.