June 9,2005
ATV Safety Concerns
The number of deadly ATV crashes is going up, as the off-road vehicles become more and more popular. Now, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is considering new regulations to keep you and your children safe.
Commissioners are most concerned with riders under 16 years old. Many of them are riding ATV's that are meant for adults. When a kid hops on a machine with that much power, bad things can happen. In the past two decades, more than 1,800 children have died on ATV's. Most were driving adult size ATV's, and safety experts say the size of the vehicle may have cost them their lives.
Hal Stratton of Consumer Product Saftey says, "We're not going after any industry here. We're looking at improving the situation for consumers. We know consumers like ATV's and we want to preserve consumer choices on what kind of ATV's they have and how they use ATV's."
The agency is working on the most comprehensive review of ATV's ever taken by a commission. Members want to know if the current voluntary stardards are working, whether those standards should be mandated by the government, whether new regulations should be created, and how to enforce them.
Ron Burk lives in Hudson and rides ATV's for fun. He says the problem isn't the lack of regulations, it's that people are riding illegally because there aren't designated ATV trails in the Cedar Valley.
"If there's no place to ride the ATV's, there's no incentive to do it right and follow the safety rules," says Burk.
Without a place to go, Burk says those riders are driving around the rules.
"They're riding it where it's hard to find them, on purpose. The enforcement officers really don't have any way to find them or to encourage them to ride their ATV safely," Burk says.
Here at Leer Cycle Center, the owner says stores are required to meet certain guidelines. If someone comes in looking to buy an ATV for a child, employees can't sell them one of these adult size machines. Any dealer that does could lose its license to sell ATV's.
Full Version: Atv Safety Concerns
ummm...in Sailaways' post in the Glamis Dunes Issues, under Consumer Product Safety Commission,
there is a quote that states "we can't really enforce what parents and their kids do"
That is the real issue here. Parents, and kids making poor choices.
Also, numebrs are up for two reasons: increased popularity, and increased population.
Tie the growth rate to the number, and see if it really is an increase
i..e number of accidents per vehicles
there is a quote that states "we can't really enforce what parents and their kids do"
That is the real issue here. Parents, and kids making poor choices.
Also, numebrs are up for two reasons: increased popularity, and increased population.
Tie the growth rate to the number, and see if it really is an increase
i..e number of accidents per vehicles
ATV riding: A rush at a risk?
Federal agency to review safety of four-wheel, off-road vehicles
Erica Solvig
The Desert Sun
June 12, 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COACHELLA VALLEY - Jumping dirt mounds at excessive speeds. Kicked-up sand swirling past. Roaring engines adding to the adrenaline rush.
It's all part of the attraction - and the thrill - of off-roading.
But now those all-terrain vehicles, or ATVs, may be regulated by stricter rules designed to make the four-wheelers safer, especially for riders younger than 16.
It's the new aim of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which last week announced its most comprehensive review of ATV standards to date. The federal agency is evaluating everything from the sizes available for young users to mandating training courses.
"We're going to look at everything about an ATV, how it operates and how people are actually using them," agency spokesman Scott Wolfson said. "We do believe that, based on the data we have, that behavior is an issue. It's creating too many deaths across the country, especially in California."
California leads the nation in number of ATV-related deaths; between 1982 and 2003, there were 324.
Pennsylvania had the second-highest number of ATV-related deaths, with 317. Nationwide, 5,791 people died in ATV accidents during that time.
Earlier this year, a Santa Ana woman was killed when two all-terrain vehicles crashed at a popular destination spot in Cathedral City.
Local riders say they're all for safety standards. But many argue that it comes down to individual riders' being educated and taking responsibility for their actions.
Statistics show vehicle misuse is involved in 92 percent of ATV fatalities.
"It's their own common sense," says Daniel Davis, a 24-year-old Idyllwild resident who has been riding since he was 10. "A lot of times, when accidents happen, it's because they'll put an 8-year-old on a larger model. It's a kid with no experience on a model that's way too big and way more than they can control."
Conquering the terrain
More than 15 million Americans operate 6.2 million ATVs across the county, according to the ATV Safety Institute.
But on any given weekend, you don't have to look any farther than the local hillsides to find them.
People such as Rick Garcia of San Diego jump on their four-wheelers and take off, creating sandy trails in their wake.
Sometimes, the riders lean the ATV back, showing off on their two rear wheels. Other times, they're twisting up a hill on all fours.
Garcia and his friends wear helmets and say they always take proper safety precautions.
But not everyone they see is that cautious.
"You have to watch out for everybody else," 25-year-old Garcia said before tackling some popular off-roading spots in the Cathedral City area. "There's a lot of people not wanting to follow the rules."
Lifelong motorcycle and ATV rider Mark Diotte describes off-roading as "one of life's greatest pleasures." But as a motorcycle service technician at Sam's Cycle Service in Rancho Mirage, he said safety is one of the first items discussed with potential riders.
"It's inherently dangerous," said Diotte, a 46-year-old Sky Valley resident. "Experience is the key to safety."
Overhauling the standards
Evaluating the nation's ATV standards is the "most comprehensive, top-to-botton review" of the roughly 15,000 products the Consumer Product Safety Commission oversees, Wolfson said.
So why now? Several consumer and medical groups had petitioned the agency to look at the standards, which have been around for years with little update.
Some of them date to the late 1980s, when three-wheeled off-road vehicles were taken off the market.
They center on agreements with the major manufacturers that call for dealers to not sell adult-sized ATVs to children younger than 16, properly labeling adult ATVs; and encouraging training courses.
Wolfson said the agency staff is also weighing whether there's an ATV that's properly built for children in the 14- to 16-year-old range.
In the past, the product safety commission staff has actually recommended against mandating these voluntary standards, saying it was nearly impossible to police the dealers and the buyers, Wolfson said.
ATV safety advocates say they want to see stricter national standards. But at least one group, Concerned Families for ATV Safety, says the federal agency push for yet another study "diverts attention from the need for action now."
"Each year, hundreds of innocent children are killed on ATVs built for adults, and tens of thousands are seriously injured," Concerned Families co-founder Carolyn Anderson wrote in an e-mail to The Desert Sun.
Her 14-year-old son, James, died riding an adult-sized ATV while vacationing with a friend's family last year.
"The parents of our group know that no amount of training and certainly no amount of warning stickers will save a child when a large and powerful motorized vehicle lands on them or crashes into a tree," Anderson wrote. "Adult ATVs are too dangerous for children."
Safe riding
Local ATV rental spots like Off Road Rentals and Tours in Palm Springs do have smaller ATVs with less powerful engines available for use.
Managers there say the equipment is set so younger riders can't go too fast.
The location draws children and preteens riding there almost daily.
And kids like 13-year-old Austin Payne say you just have to be smart about your ride.
"If you've got the right equipment, it's a safe thing to do," said Payne, who was vacationing here from Florida last week.
His parents, Todd and Sherra Payne, agreed. They also brought along their 9-year-old son, Tristan, for the family outing.
"You've got to follow the rules of the road," Todd Payne said.
Since not every rider has the Paynes' outlook, the Cathedral City Police Department has increased enforcement in the off-roading area northeast of Date Palm Drive and Varner Road.
That was the scene of a fatal ATV collision earlier this year in which 35-year-old Carmen Monares of Santa Ana was killed. Police say she was not wearing a helmet and was riding as a passenger on an ATV that was not built for two people.
Even after publicized accidents and repeated warnings, said Off Road Rentals and Tours manager Steven Jay, people will still push the limits.
"Almost all ATV accidents are caused by excessive speed," the 60-year-old ATV rider said. "They drive too fast in the dirt, and it's unpredictable, and it can throw you off. Safety is up to (the rider). It always has been."
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...mplate=printart
Federal agency to review safety of four-wheel, off-road vehicles
Erica Solvig
The Desert Sun
June 12, 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COACHELLA VALLEY - Jumping dirt mounds at excessive speeds. Kicked-up sand swirling past. Roaring engines adding to the adrenaline rush.
It's all part of the attraction - and the thrill - of off-roading.
But now those all-terrain vehicles, or ATVs, may be regulated by stricter rules designed to make the four-wheelers safer, especially for riders younger than 16.
It's the new aim of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which last week announced its most comprehensive review of ATV standards to date. The federal agency is evaluating everything from the sizes available for young users to mandating training courses.
"We're going to look at everything about an ATV, how it operates and how people are actually using them," agency spokesman Scott Wolfson said. "We do believe that, based on the data we have, that behavior is an issue. It's creating too many deaths across the country, especially in California."
California leads the nation in number of ATV-related deaths; between 1982 and 2003, there were 324.
Pennsylvania had the second-highest number of ATV-related deaths, with 317. Nationwide, 5,791 people died in ATV accidents during that time.
Earlier this year, a Santa Ana woman was killed when two all-terrain vehicles crashed at a popular destination spot in Cathedral City.
Local riders say they're all for safety standards. But many argue that it comes down to individual riders' being educated and taking responsibility for their actions.
Statistics show vehicle misuse is involved in 92 percent of ATV fatalities.
"It's their own common sense," says Daniel Davis, a 24-year-old Idyllwild resident who has been riding since he was 10. "A lot of times, when accidents happen, it's because they'll put an 8-year-old on a larger model. It's a kid with no experience on a model that's way too big and way more than they can control."
Conquering the terrain
More than 15 million Americans operate 6.2 million ATVs across the county, according to the ATV Safety Institute.
But on any given weekend, you don't have to look any farther than the local hillsides to find them.
People such as Rick Garcia of San Diego jump on their four-wheelers and take off, creating sandy trails in their wake.
Sometimes, the riders lean the ATV back, showing off on their two rear wheels. Other times, they're twisting up a hill on all fours.
Garcia and his friends wear helmets and say they always take proper safety precautions.
But not everyone they see is that cautious.
"You have to watch out for everybody else," 25-year-old Garcia said before tackling some popular off-roading spots in the Cathedral City area. "There's a lot of people not wanting to follow the rules."
Lifelong motorcycle and ATV rider Mark Diotte describes off-roading as "one of life's greatest pleasures." But as a motorcycle service technician at Sam's Cycle Service in Rancho Mirage, he said safety is one of the first items discussed with potential riders.
"It's inherently dangerous," said Diotte, a 46-year-old Sky Valley resident. "Experience is the key to safety."
Overhauling the standards
Evaluating the nation's ATV standards is the "most comprehensive, top-to-botton review" of the roughly 15,000 products the Consumer Product Safety Commission oversees, Wolfson said.
So why now? Several consumer and medical groups had petitioned the agency to look at the standards, which have been around for years with little update.
Some of them date to the late 1980s, when three-wheeled off-road vehicles were taken off the market.
They center on agreements with the major manufacturers that call for dealers to not sell adult-sized ATVs to children younger than 16, properly labeling adult ATVs; and encouraging training courses.
Wolfson said the agency staff is also weighing whether there's an ATV that's properly built for children in the 14- to 16-year-old range.
In the past, the product safety commission staff has actually recommended against mandating these voluntary standards, saying it was nearly impossible to police the dealers and the buyers, Wolfson said.
ATV safety advocates say they want to see stricter national standards. But at least one group, Concerned Families for ATV Safety, says the federal agency push for yet another study "diverts attention from the need for action now."
"Each year, hundreds of innocent children are killed on ATVs built for adults, and tens of thousands are seriously injured," Concerned Families co-founder Carolyn Anderson wrote in an e-mail to The Desert Sun.
Her 14-year-old son, James, died riding an adult-sized ATV while vacationing with a friend's family last year.
"The parents of our group know that no amount of training and certainly no amount of warning stickers will save a child when a large and powerful motorized vehicle lands on them or crashes into a tree," Anderson wrote. "Adult ATVs are too dangerous for children."
Safe riding
Local ATV rental spots like Off Road Rentals and Tours in Palm Springs do have smaller ATVs with less powerful engines available for use.
Managers there say the equipment is set so younger riders can't go too fast.
The location draws children and preteens riding there almost daily.
And kids like 13-year-old Austin Payne say you just have to be smart about your ride.
"If you've got the right equipment, it's a safe thing to do," said Payne, who was vacationing here from Florida last week.
His parents, Todd and Sherra Payne, agreed. They also brought along their 9-year-old son, Tristan, for the family outing.
"You've got to follow the rules of the road," Todd Payne said.
Since not every rider has the Paynes' outlook, the Cathedral City Police Department has increased enforcement in the off-roading area northeast of Date Palm Drive and Varner Road.
That was the scene of a fatal ATV collision earlier this year in which 35-year-old Carmen Monares of Santa Ana was killed. Police say she was not wearing a helmet and was riding as a passenger on an ATV that was not built for two people.
Even after publicized accidents and repeated warnings, said Off Road Rentals and Tours manager Steven Jay, people will still push the limits.
"Almost all ATV accidents are caused by excessive speed," the 60-year-old ATV rider said. "They drive too fast in the dirt, and it's unpredictable, and it can throw you off. Safety is up to (the rider). It always has been."
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...mplate=printart
So here's the problem in a nutshell...
We need to outlaw stupid people.
QUOTE
...fatal ATV collision earlier this year in which 35-year-old Carmen Monares of Santa Ana was killed. Police say she was not wearing a helmet and was riding as a passenger on an ATV that was not built for two people.
We need to outlaw stupid people.
Let's make some new laws so people can break them! Again, I bring up the example of me, 5'10" and over 200 by the time I was 14...could you see a kid like that tearing through the dunes on a Yamaha Breeze?
We see it here where I work all the time.
We disclose the safety laws, provide owners manuals, "practice riding tips", preach safety, and ATV training courses that either are paid by the importer/manufacture or offer incentives for one to take the course. Still, we see folks hurt doing stupid things on ATV's. It's sad!
The industry has done every thing in their power to provide the tools to operate the equipment safely, and still many decide to do things their way.
We see safety labels removed from the ATV's, hear of young kids operating Raptors, Banshee's, YFZ 450's, etc. from our customers, and see many damaged ATV’s. It’s all fun and games until we here of another customer or his/her kid in the hospital or worse. Heck, just this year we had a guy purchase a DS 650 who told us he was experienced with ATV’s, wreck at the dunes within five minutes of arriving, the very night he purchased the DS – and now is paralyzed from the chest down.
As it turns out, his experience was limited to riding his friends ATV the weekend before.
It breaks my heart to see and hear of my customers getting seriously injured when in reality, the injury didn’t need to happen – but did due to one’s ego.
The CPSC does not need further restrictions on these vehicles. They need to send a strong message to LEO's to ENFORCE THE EXISTING LAWS!
I was around working with CORVA back in the ‘80s when CPSC last took a serious look at the vehicle. I can’t tell you how close we came to losing the vehicle type for good.
Those who operate these kinds of vehicles need to wake up on this issue. It could get very ugly soon.
We disclose the safety laws, provide owners manuals, "practice riding tips", preach safety, and ATV training courses that either are paid by the importer/manufacture or offer incentives for one to take the course. Still, we see folks hurt doing stupid things on ATV's. It's sad!
The industry has done every thing in their power to provide the tools to operate the equipment safely, and still many decide to do things their way.
We see safety labels removed from the ATV's, hear of young kids operating Raptors, Banshee's, YFZ 450's, etc. from our customers, and see many damaged ATV’s. It’s all fun and games until we here of another customer or his/her kid in the hospital or worse. Heck, just this year we had a guy purchase a DS 650 who told us he was experienced with ATV’s, wreck at the dunes within five minutes of arriving, the very night he purchased the DS – and now is paralyzed from the chest down.
As it turns out, his experience was limited to riding his friends ATV the weekend before.
It breaks my heart to see and hear of my customers getting seriously injured when in reality, the injury didn’t need to happen – but did due to one’s ego.
The CPSC does not need further restrictions on these vehicles. They need to send a strong message to LEO's to ENFORCE THE EXISTING LAWS!
I was around working with CORVA back in the ‘80s when CPSC last took a serious look at the vehicle. I can’t tell you how close we came to losing the vehicle type for good.
Those who operate these kinds of vehicles need to wake up on this issue. It could get very ugly soon.
Families call on feds to regulate ATVs
By E.B. FURGURSON III, Staff Writer
Weeks after a 9-year-old south county boy was killed while riding a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle on the family farm, a group of grieving mothers from across the country came to Washington seeking stricter safety regulations for kids and ATVs.
The mothers, all of whom lost children in ATV accidents like the one that took the life of Lothian Elementary School fourth-grader Brad McDonald on April 19, begged for federal action at a news conference on the creation of Concerned Families for ATV Safety.
"We are here to bring about awareness to other parents on the use of ATVs and children under 16 years old," said Susan DeLoretto-Rabe, an Oregon mother whose 10-year-old son was killed three years ago. "Unfortunately, we have all experienced firsthand how deadly these machines can be to children."
All the women, sitting with pictures of their deceased children in front of them, decried the cycle sales industry's approach to safety and the lack of public knowledge about the dangers of children riding adult ATVs.
"If I had known that at least 1,860 children under the age of 16 had already died on ATVs by 2003 ... I would have warned my son never to ride an ATV," said Carolyn Anderson of Brockton, Mass., choking back tears over her 14-year-old son who was killed in August. "I warned him about unprotected sex, drinking and driving, and about drugs. I never warned him about ATVs. ... I had never seen one; he had never seen one either.
The grief-stricken mothers are pushing the issue as the Consumer Product Safety Commission weighs a request by consumer and environmental groups to outlaw sales of adult-size ATVs for use by children under 16. A preliminary staff finding in February recommended against such a rule, saying such sales limits wouldn't affect behavior.
Nevertheless, Mrs. DeLoretto-Rabe noted more than 95 percent of children under 16 injured on ATVs were ridingadult-sized machines. Those children account for more than 30 percent of the injuries attributed to the four-wheeled, motorcycle-like vehicles in the past decade, according to CPSC data.
Those numbers have created a policy tug of war. At stake is whether safety precautions should be enacted federally, left to voluntary industry self-regulation, or taken on by state lawmakers.
On one side are groups including the Consumer Federation of America and the American Academy of Pediatrics, which first proposed the ban in 2002. On the other are ATV manufacturers and their lobbying arm, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America.
Since then, the CPSC has held hearings across the country and could be nearing a decision, though a time frame is not set.
Brad McDonald was driving a Honda Recon, a 125cc vehicle according to the company Web site, on his family's farm in Harwood on April 19. According to police reports, he went down an embankment, then vaulted up the other side. He and the overturned ATV were found some 40 feet away from the embankment. Police said he was wearing his helmet and other safety equipment and was an experienced rider. The family declined comment for this story.
County police don't have statistics for ATV accidents, but said ATVs are a growing problem as they seemingly replace other off-road vehicles as the must-have toy. People who ride without helmets or take ATVs on the road, where they're not designed to go, are especially at risk.
"We're not seeing as many dirt bikes," Lt. Joseph Jordan, county police spokesman, told The Capital in the fall. "We're seeing more ATVs."
Manufacturers had a 10-year agreement with the CPSC limiting sales of ATVs for use by minors and halting the sale of three-wheeled vehicles. But that expired in 1998. Since then, sales and injuries have soared.
The number of ATVs sold doubled between 1998 and 2003, while injuries and deaths among riders under 16 jumped from 25,100 to 38,600 annually.
The manufacturers point to those same figures to note the rate of injury and death has declined and that driver error is responsible for the vast majority of accidents.
"More than 92 percent of ATV-related fatalities involve one or more behaviors that the industry strongly and visibly warns against," Specialty Vehicle Institute President Tim Buche said in a prepared statement.
Risky behaviors include children riding adult-sized ATVs, riding without a helmet, riding with a passenger, riding on paved roads and using excessive speed.
The institute encourages less sweeping state-by-state regulations.
"We strongly support state regulations, including prohibiting sales of ATVs for those under 16," said Kathy Van Kleeck, a spokesman for the group, which also maintains that a voluntary industry safety program is working.
Under the program, dealerships are supposed to tell customers adult ATVs and kids under 16 don't mix. Stickers on the vehicles themselves give similar warnings. But the mourning mothers say that is not necessarily so.
Cynde Nichols of Caldwell, Idaho, lost her 3-year-old son, Murphy, when he fell off an ATV in August 2003. Her family had purchased five ATVs and had never been told children should not use them. The dealer even helped pick out helmets for their 3-, 5- and 7-year-old kids.
"He knew we were going to let the children ride," she said.
By E.B. FURGURSON III, Staff Writer
Weeks after a 9-year-old south county boy was killed while riding a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle on the family farm, a group of grieving mothers from across the country came to Washington seeking stricter safety regulations for kids and ATVs.
The mothers, all of whom lost children in ATV accidents like the one that took the life of Lothian Elementary School fourth-grader Brad McDonald on April 19, begged for federal action at a news conference on the creation of Concerned Families for ATV Safety.
"We are here to bring about awareness to other parents on the use of ATVs and children under 16 years old," said Susan DeLoretto-Rabe, an Oregon mother whose 10-year-old son was killed three years ago. "Unfortunately, we have all experienced firsthand how deadly these machines can be to children."
All the women, sitting with pictures of their deceased children in front of them, decried the cycle sales industry's approach to safety and the lack of public knowledge about the dangers of children riding adult ATVs.
"If I had known that at least 1,860 children under the age of 16 had already died on ATVs by 2003 ... I would have warned my son never to ride an ATV," said Carolyn Anderson of Brockton, Mass., choking back tears over her 14-year-old son who was killed in August. "I warned him about unprotected sex, drinking and driving, and about drugs. I never warned him about ATVs. ... I had never seen one; he had never seen one either.
The grief-stricken mothers are pushing the issue as the Consumer Product Safety Commission weighs a request by consumer and environmental groups to outlaw sales of adult-size ATVs for use by children under 16. A preliminary staff finding in February recommended against such a rule, saying such sales limits wouldn't affect behavior.
Nevertheless, Mrs. DeLoretto-Rabe noted more than 95 percent of children under 16 injured on ATVs were ridingadult-sized machines. Those children account for more than 30 percent of the injuries attributed to the four-wheeled, motorcycle-like vehicles in the past decade, according to CPSC data.
Those numbers have created a policy tug of war. At stake is whether safety precautions should be enacted federally, left to voluntary industry self-regulation, or taken on by state lawmakers.
On one side are groups including the Consumer Federation of America and the American Academy of Pediatrics, which first proposed the ban in 2002. On the other are ATV manufacturers and their lobbying arm, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America.
Since then, the CPSC has held hearings across the country and could be nearing a decision, though a time frame is not set.
Brad McDonald was driving a Honda Recon, a 125cc vehicle according to the company Web site, on his family's farm in Harwood on April 19. According to police reports, he went down an embankment, then vaulted up the other side. He and the overturned ATV were found some 40 feet away from the embankment. Police said he was wearing his helmet and other safety equipment and was an experienced rider. The family declined comment for this story.
County police don't have statistics for ATV accidents, but said ATVs are a growing problem as they seemingly replace other off-road vehicles as the must-have toy. People who ride without helmets or take ATVs on the road, where they're not designed to go, are especially at risk.
"We're not seeing as many dirt bikes," Lt. Joseph Jordan, county police spokesman, told The Capital in the fall. "We're seeing more ATVs."
Manufacturers had a 10-year agreement with the CPSC limiting sales of ATVs for use by minors and halting the sale of three-wheeled vehicles. But that expired in 1998. Since then, sales and injuries have soared.
The number of ATVs sold doubled between 1998 and 2003, while injuries and deaths among riders under 16 jumped from 25,100 to 38,600 annually.
The manufacturers point to those same figures to note the rate of injury and death has declined and that driver error is responsible for the vast majority of accidents.
"More than 92 percent of ATV-related fatalities involve one or more behaviors that the industry strongly and visibly warns against," Specialty Vehicle Institute President Tim Buche said in a prepared statement.
Risky behaviors include children riding adult-sized ATVs, riding without a helmet, riding with a passenger, riding on paved roads and using excessive speed.
The institute encourages less sweeping state-by-state regulations.
"We strongly support state regulations, including prohibiting sales of ATVs for those under 16," said Kathy Van Kleeck, a spokesman for the group, which also maintains that a voluntary industry safety program is working.
Under the program, dealerships are supposed to tell customers adult ATVs and kids under 16 don't mix. Stickers on the vehicles themselves give similar warnings. But the mourning mothers say that is not necessarily so.
Cynde Nichols of Caldwell, Idaho, lost her 3-year-old son, Murphy, when he fell off an ATV in August 2003. Her family had purchased five ATVs and had never been told children should not use them. The dealer even helped pick out helmets for their 3-, 5- and 7-year-old kids.
"He knew we were going to let the children ride," she said.
wow those broads are pathetic." i'm stupid so i'm going to blame it on someone else". how stupid do you have to be to let a 3yr old ride an atv ? . if something has a motor and wheels and moves at any speed it is inherantly dangerous. i wonder if they let the kid play on the combine because noone told them they should'nt, how do get to be old enough to have kids with that little sense. 
sorry i got a little annoyed. those of us with kids know how dangerous it is to let them ride, those of us with brains try to teach them how to be as safe as possible,and make them wear safety gear. we understand the risks and accept responsibility for them. when i bought my atvs the owners manual and atv itself was plastered with warnings about how dangerous it was. we all see it everytime we go out, some idiot letting their kid ride without a helmet, no shoes, double or worse, it makes me cringe but what can you do, it's not your kid, it's also not really the kids fault it's their stupid parents. maybe if they increase the fines for these infractions to ridiculous sums, the stupid people will get fed up and leave the sport. well i can dream can't i ?
sorry i got a little annoyed. those of us with kids know how dangerous it is to let them ride, those of us with brains try to teach them how to be as safe as possible,and make them wear safety gear. we understand the risks and accept responsibility for them. when i bought my atvs the owners manual and atv itself was plastered with warnings about how dangerous it was. we all see it everytime we go out, some idiot letting their kid ride without a helmet, no shoes, double or worse, it makes me cringe but what can you do, it's not your kid, it's also not really the kids fault it's their stupid parents. maybe if they increase the fines for these infractions to ridiculous sums, the stupid people will get fed up and leave the sport. well i can dream can't i ?
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