Five people were sent to the Kivalliq Regional Health Centre following a two-vehicle accident in Rankin Inlet earlier this month.
It was the latest of six recent accidents in the community.
Rankin Fire Chief Mark Wyatt said a number of factors contributed to the incident, which happened on the road near Nipisar Lake.
He said the result could have been even worse than it ultimately was.
"You have young people driving; they were driving too fast and that road isn't particularly forgiving," said Wyatt. "All of the recent accidents have happened up the road.
"We're not really having too much of a problem in town. People are driving too fast up there. The speed limit is still 50 kph there and people are doing double that sometimes."
Wyatt said the most recent accident involved a side-by-side and an all-terrain vehicle (ATV).
He said the side-by-side was being driven by a 13-year-old and it ran into the ATV from behind.
"That was obviously driving too fast and the side-by-side flipped. Two of the three 13-year-olds involved in the accident were medevaced out with very serious injuries.
"And, of course, no helmets being worn by anyone in the side-by-side and, in a side-by-side, if you're not wearing a helmet then you should definitely be wearing a seatbelt because when those roll, you're even in worse shape because you've got roll bars on the top and that sort of thing.
"The two people on the ATV suffered minor injuries."
Wyatt said he won't get into all the details, but the youths on the side-by-side were doing something that they shouldn't have been doing.
He said their parents didn't know they had gone up the road on the side-by-side, but the point remains that 13 years old is far too young to be driving any motor vehicle on the roads, the fire chief contended.
"I don't care if it's a side-be-side, a Honda or a motorcycle, it's too young. They don't know how to drive, even if they think they do, and they certainly don't know how to drive at high speeds.
"This type of an accident is unacceptable and scary for parents, as well. All parents should really be aware of the dangers and instill in their kids that, 'I'm sorry, but you're not old enough to drive.
"Walk! Ride a bicycle. Do what kids are supposed to do and ride a bike. This town is not too big, especially in the summertime, for walking. A few years ago, we had another side-by-side accident SA国际影视传媒� again driven by a 13-year-old with an 11-year-old passenger in the vehicle who died.
"We don't want to see this stuff happening. We don't want to see anyone getting hurt. Please! Wear your helmets. It's the law. And it just may save you from serious injury or worse."
