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Today I picked up the May 3, 2004 edition of People magazine and read another story about how dangerous ATV’s are, the story is called

“Danger on Four wheels “

Of course this story caught my eye seeing that my wife, two children & I ride as often as we can, “Son 10 & Daughter 4”. We love to go riding together because it is a great family sport. We pack up a full basket of food, a family game (Scrabble, Monopoly ECT…) and head to the mountains for a full day of safe fun riding. We love to ride to the highest point of the state forest or mountain and throw down a blanket and have a picnic, play games and talk to our children one on one with no interruptions, like no TV, no telephone calls, no Sony Play Station or even a friend at the doorbell, but to keep it real safe my wife and I do bring our cell phones in case there ever was an emergency. Let me tell you from experience, you can’t put a price on the feeling of real quality time with your children and how much you really get to know what your child is thinking and feeling while he or she is growing up in this world. There are a lot of kids in this world that just won’t go up to their parents and tell them what is wrong or what is bothering them because their parents might be too occupied, don’t care, or the child just doesn’t know how to approach them. For instance on one of our rides I learned that my son was being picked on because he has freckles on his face, plays the saxophone and is in the chess club. He told me that some kids in school make fun of him calling him freckle head, geek boy ECT… and wanted to know why they do this to him. So I jumped at the chance to talk to him about it because I don’t want his self esteem to go down and make him depressed and that’s what a loving parent does. So like I said this is a great safe, fun & quality spent family fun sport that helps build up the children’s self esteem and also brings parents and there children closer because we all need to know what is going on in are kids life and how they are feeling so they will stay safe in the world.

Problems with ATV’s

The problem is not the ATV’s, it’s the parents who don’t take the time to talk to there children about the dangers of riding or the time to supervise their child while they are riding them. We all hear horrific stories about kids who die or get seriously injured on these ATV’s. But, the one thing that I noticed is that the editors never seem to write about how the parents were wrong in there doings, like letting there young kids on an adult size ATV, riding 2 or more on a bike, no helmets, no protective gear & no supervision. That certainly is not the law makers, bike makers or the dealer’s fault, that is 100 % the parents fault. Everyone is looking to blame somebody else instead of blaming themselves for the mistakes they make. These so called officials are saying to toughen the laws. Yes! They’re right. We need to toughen up some laws, but not the laws that they want. The “one law” we really need to toughen up is, if a child is hurt or killed on an ATV that is not suited for the child then the parents should be charged with child endangerment and put in jail, that will definitely make parents think twice before letting their kids go out unsupervised, with no gear or helmet, or onto a bike that is to big for the child. ATV’s are not babysitters; they are to be taken seriously. Also every state should enforce an age law, now I myself believe that no one under the age of 16 should be on a 250cc or larger ATV. This is just my recommendation for rider size to bike size and I will explain why I feel this way.



See chart below”

Age 18 & over = 250cc & up

Age 15 & 16 = 120cc – 200cc

Age 13 & 14 = 90cc to120cc

Age 8 to 12 = 70cc -90 cc

Depending on size of child
Age 6 & 7 = 50cc

Age 4 & 5 = 40cc

The reason I feel this chart is better than the present one is because of a bad experience with my 10 year old son. He was riding on a 50cc ATV and almost hit a tree because his legs were too long and they were in the way of the handle bars so he could not fully turn which shows that he was too big for a 50cc at age 7 years 6 month. So I went and got him a 90cc and left the restrictors on until he was good enough to handle the power. He was able to turn on the dime with the 90cc because of the size difference. It has been three years since he got his 90cc and he still loves it. Because he fits it so well, now I get to watch him do 4 foot jumps and land his ATV like a pro. I would never let him on anything bigger because I love him and if he jumped on something bigger than his 90cc bike he might not be able to land it right causing him to lose control and maybe even a tragedy. With a 90cc he controls the bike not the bike controlling him. A child that is to big for a bike is just as dangerous as a child to small for a bike.

The Story (Just one of many)

The story in People magazine tells about a 10 year-old boy who died riding a 500 pound ATV, but it doesn’t talk about how that 10 year-old boy did NOT belong on a 500 pound ATV or how the parents weren’t supervising the 10 year-old. They do talk about how he just got done eating cookies and milk, how they could still smell it on his breath, and how they felt his body going cold as he passed away. The father said “it’s so hard to believe we lost him in a blink of an eye.” Not to sound cold hearted but what did they think was going to happen when you put a 10 year-old on a 500 pound ATV and with no supervision. The editor also states the parents knew he was going out to do the thing that he loved most, riding an ATV. If the parents knew this was his favorite thing to do then why didn’t they buy one that fit his age group or at least be out their watching him? Now I don’t want to seem cruel because I feel bad for anyone who loses a child, but to me, the story the editor tells is one that points the blame to the ATV companies and not the true reality on how the parents weren’t doing what they were suppose to be doing. Children no matter what they are doing need supervising and guidance to be put on a bike that fits his size. I say to myself what in the world was a 10 year-old doing on a 500 pound ATV in the first place? Like I said earlier I have two young children who ride ATV’s but I also know that it is my responsibility to make the best decision for them. My son sometimes asks to ride my wife’s 250 and I just laugh at him. I would never give him the keys because I know that at his size and age he could never in a million years control it if something went wrong. As a fellow rider myself I want my children to have fun riding but as a parent I also want them to be safe. They never get on their bikes without all their protective gear and they are only allowed to ride the bike that is made for their size.

I also noticed that the editor went and put in a few pictures of children who have passed on due to ATV’s, and a picture of a family playing a board game which had a boy with his face disfigured, but of course they never told us how they were hurt. Did they have helmets and riding gear on? Were they on ATV’s that were too big for them? Were they supervised? Then the editor talks about OZZY and his ATV accident. Well not to bash Ozzy, but he is to far gone in the mind to be on a Yamaha banshee or any other motorized vehicle. That would be like taken my 4 year-old and putting her on my Z400 or putting her behind the wheel of my motorcycle. If an editor is going to write a story about how bad something is the least they could do is tell the whole story not just pin the blame on a product that has no control on who rides it. Parents have total control of what size and when a child can ride his ATV. With any sport there are going to be injuries but with proper protective gear, right size machines, and proper supervision there would be less tragedies.

Conclusion

For many years we been listening to all these so called professionals who have never been on an ATV let alone have no idea on what laws to pass and enforce. It seem like there only education on this sport is what they hear from the media or what they have read in a book or magazine. Now we all know that the media strives on making things look worst than what they are for example: We have had several death related injuries from ATV’s, snowmobiles and dirt bikes in the state that I live in because it’s against the law to ride any of them anywhere in this state, but many people will look for a place to ride so they can do what they love “ Riding” but some of the places that we can hide and ride are very dangerous and some times people get killed like one guy was riding at the power lines and hit a power line and died, a man on a snowmobile was riding on the railroad tracks and got hit by a train needless to say they had to pick up many pieces and it was not an open casket. I know it’s there fault for choosing to ride there but if we had a place to ride these people would still be here today. When the news got wind of these tragedies they were quick to blame the vehicles and riders but of course they never said anything about not having a place to ride or even suggesting to build a place to ride so we can help cut down on these tragedies. The sad thing is we pay taxes on the purchases of these machines and also pay money to register them but were not given a place to ride. The police will also fine us if were caught riding $250 for first offence and $500 for second offence and jailed for third time. Well why don’t they take that money and build a park where we can ride safely, I thought that’s what this is all about safety, I guess not in my state it’s about the money and get this some of the police stations have purchased ATV’s they say it’s to chase us out of the areas were people hide & ride. I say desperate to get that money from the fines & where is all this money going? Well not to an ATV park. So I ask my self what are these law makers doing to make it safe to ride beside banning ATV’s and taking our money. What we really need is people who ride to handle the laws and just maybe we can cut out a large percent of deaths and injuries because if you’re a rider then you know this is safe family fun. With any sport there are going to be injuries but with proper protective gear, right size machines, and proper supervision there would be a lot less tragedies.
So lets all work together to help keep the tragedies down to an all time low and show these law makers that this is a safe sport.

Respectfully yours,
David V Roy
Suzukiz400rydr@aol.com

I agree with everything you stated. You should write an article and try to get it published in a competitors magazine. Give the other side of the story so the general public understands what ATV's and families riding together are all about. Its a great way to spend time with the family.

Suzukiz400rydr.

I definitely agree with you!!!!

On another forum, I got into an emotional battle with an ATV Instructor. This isn't my style!!! But this guy really got me going. On one forum, his idea of promoting our sport was immediately stating the number of dead kids in one week. Then on that forum, he starts boasting how many degrees he has and starts b1tching about the number of 4 year old riding huge machines. Yes, one of those folks who advertise things outside the "normal rider" in order to pull people onto his side. For an ATV Instructor who teaches young kids, I was expecting more. I was expecting someone to post web sites where we could learn better safety, post "Real World" ideas to make our minis even better, post legal sites were our kids could ride, etc. Instead, this guy starting quoting age of kid to engine cc laws, implying that everyone is breaking the law and even told one guy to "get a puppy instead of a quad". First time I every got that upset in an open forum.

I sure wish someone would post something positive in Reader's Digest, People magazine, etc, about our mini sport. For me, I see many, many positives too.

And yes, I'm on your side too....

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I agree mostly with what you saying except I have a real problem with limiting engine size based on age because cc's don't necessarily translate into power. Also, you have to take into account the terrain. I'm learning this all to too well. You can't put a low powered quad on sand dunes. It just flat does not work. I'd argue sand is a whole lot safer then most terrain, even if your kids are on a bigger machine.

Just my $.02.

Yea i know plenty of guys that get just as hurt on their lil brothers LT80 as they do on their banshee lol.

Go for a publishment man!

Your right about everyone trying to blame the atv's and not the parents. If a child is driving a car at 10 years old and crashes it, who is blamed, the parents, not the car manufacturer. Anything that is a worthwhile sport is always critized. Some people don't have anything better to do except to put down others since thats not their thing. I dont like skydiving, but if someone likes it and wants to do it, let them. Its dangerous also. Just had to say something, as I have a 6year old on a Scrambler 50 and a 10 year old on a Sportsman 90. Now my 6 year old has no business on the 90, it just doesn't fit himand he also isn't mentally old enough to handle the 28mph. His 50 at 14mph is just right for him. Thanks for letting me sound off. Keith

My 6 year old is on a 91.5cc. She handles it just fine but I don't let her go fast. It struggles on 15-20 degree inclines at the dunes. She stops, she's stuck.

It's amazing how many parents will let their kids ride a quad that's too big for them but wouldn't be so dumb as to let them ride a motorcycle that big. Last year I was at a family reunion and my cousin let her ten-year-old ride a 660Raptor, without a helmet no less. I asked her if she would let him ride a YFZ600 and she said "hell no". I asked "what's the difference?" and she replied "he could get hurt on it". I asked "don't you think he can get hurt on the Raptor?" and she said "I doubt it, he's realy careful and it's a quad. What's the big deal?". That's natural selection in humans. She's taking her kids out of the gene pool.

Cooker thats so true...so true

Being "in the trenches", I too see lots of things that aren't right. Just like carpooling to work every day, I see many auto drivers that shouldn't have a drivers licence. People doing things "outside the norm" is everywhere. On the road, in the skies and on the seas. Each one of them break the "legal & ethical" laws on a daily basis. You see it, I see it and so do my kids. It's the world we live in....

Yes, even I break the legal law. Often, I purposely tell my kids to break the law too. Instead of playing hockey in our short driveway that goes onto a very busy road, I tell them to go play at the end of the dead end street. In our small town, street hockey isn't legally allowed. Yes, I'm breaking the "legal law" but is it ethically right? Even the cops drive by our game, wave hi and give a "big thumbs up"! In the trenches, even my local cops know the difference between legal and "what is right" laws.

Bet you a bag of donuts, the parents who put their 10 year olds on 600cc quads or use a mini-quad as an unsupervised baby sitting tool don't exist on this forum. Don't exist on any mini quad forum. Why? Because they are too busy watching soap opras, drinking with their buddies, or doing their own thing. They simply don't care about reading mini-quad forums!!! So why come onto a forum and start lecturing about "legal laws"??? Why write up a huge `negative slanted` aritcle in Readers Digest or People Magazine about the unsafe things some mini-quad kids are doing? Yes, they are trying to target "the parents of those kids". Those parents are too busy doing "their own things" and don't really care about those articles. From their perspective, why change their free baby sitter??? Or, I'm so proud that "my 11 year old Johnny can do wheelies with a 600cc Yamaha", I actually like it. Why change that!!! Instead, the other people who like to read "those articles" instantly get the impression that "our sport" is bad for everyone.... Yes, the bullet in those magazines clearly missed their targets. The author actually made things worst for everyone!!!!

To me, it's never about legal laws. Who really cares about exact engine cc size for certain ages of kids. It's about "what is good safe ethics for each our our kids, and their unique riding conditions". It's always about "how do we make our kid's machine and our kid's driving skills better". Why beat up everyone for the wreckless of the very few??? Let's focus on the things we can make better and the rest will follow. If they don't follow into a more safe direction, then "it's their choice"....

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On a side note...... One of our neigbours always ignores his kid. He doesn't play hockey with his son, he doesn't play baseball with his son, he doesn't play basket ball with his son. etc. One of those, "go outside and find your own fun!!!" type of parenting attitude. His son is 9 and is considered one of the worst street kids in my neigbourhood. More trouble and wrecklessness then many other "street kids" running up/down our roads. Last week, this kid told me he really wanted to play baseball but his dad won't drive him around. Besides that, registration was 1 month ago. Heck, I'll drive this kid around with us. No charge!!! Being the Assistant Coach on my son's baseball team, I'm trying to get this kid "off the street" and into something positive. A club, a team, esposure to positive ethics, a sense of belonging to something much more in life. I'll know in 2 more days if we can sqeeze this kid around our closed registration door, and into our baseball team. Yes, I'd do the same for any kid too. Wish me luck on this one!!!!

Why did I mention this kid??? Perhaps beating up the parents and "unethical mini-quad riding" kids isn't the answer. Perhaps getting them a positive riding partner, into a sponsored club, etc. is the more efficient solution in turning these kids, and their parents around too!!!

To me, corrective action ideas are more important than writing "what should be". Let's re-focus on "how to change it to a realistic world each of us want to live in...".

Something to think about....

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