FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN

By John C. Wolf, D.O.Associate Professor of Family Medicine Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

"NMIR" TECHNOLOGY CAN SAVE CHILDREN TRAGIC LAWN MOWER ACCIDENTS

Question: Last year a neighbor backed his lawnmower over his cat and killed it. As bad as this was, I couldn't help but wonder how much worse he would have felt if it had been his daughter. Have you ever heard of a kid being run over by a lawnmower? What can we do to improve the safety of these machines?

Answer: With spring here and the summer fast approaching, those of us in the northern part of the U.S. are getting back into that mowing routine. Your question is, therefore, a good and very timely one. 

The scenario that you have described of backing over a pet or loved one with a ride-on lawnmower is, unfortunately, very common. In fact, one lawnmower safety advocacy group estimates that on the average, a young child is backed over by a ride-on lawn mower once a day in the U.S. Tragically, the child is often badly mutilated, crippled or killed. Adding to the family heartbreak, the driver is usually a parent, grandparent or sibling. 

There is one safety feature that could be added to all ride-on mowers that would greatly reduce if not eliminate these types of accidents. It's called NMIR technology. This stands for "no mowing in reverse" and the concept -- if not the implementation -- is as simple as it sounds. The mower is equipped with mechanical linkage that disengages the drive shaft that turns the blade whenever the rider places the mower in reverse. 

Two manufactures have made NMIR technology available on their mowers. One is John Deere. The other is MTD Products, makers of mowers with the following brand names: MTD Pro, Yard Machine, Yard Man and White Outdoor. To date, though, this safety feature is not mandated by government regulation and is not routinely placed on all new mowers -- not even all of those made by John Deere and MTD. So it's still a buyer beware situation. 

The good news is that the federal government did impose new rules about ten years ago that have made push-type power mowers considerably safer. New mowers are required to automatically stop the blade when the handle is released. There are also regulations that make it more difficult for the blade to strike an object and throw it back at the operator. These changes have reduced the risk of injury from thrown objects and the risk of being mangled by a moving mower blade. Now it's time to add NMIR technology to ride-on mowers to prevent the needless tragedies that your question asks about. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Council on Child and Adolescent Health have made some recommendations about power mowers that I think are very important for every family with children to observe. In summary, they recommended that children should not be allowed to: 

* play in areas adjacent to where mowers are being used. 
* ride with the mower operator or ride in carts or trailers being towed behind the mower. 
* play on or around the mower, even with adult supervision. 
* operate a mower until they are at least 14 years old and have received proper training in the operation of the mower and its safety features. 

They also recommended that young children, particularly those under 5, not be allowed outdoors at all while mowing is being done. 

Please pass this information on to anyone you know with children. Also, I'd urge you to write your U.S. representative and the U.S. senators from your state asking for legislation to mandate NMIR technology on new ride-on mowers. 

"Family Medicine" is a weekly column.

To submit questions, write to: John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.

Past columns are available online at http://www.FamilyMedicineNews.org.