Texas has some strict helmet laws for atvs. Years ago, Texas passed a law requiring full face helmets for motorcycles but with enough oppisiton, it was reduced to just a skull cap and later retracted all together to where it was up to riders to choose to wear a helmet to drive on the street. I put a post in your helmet law thread about how I feel also but at the moment I feel like ranting a bit so bear with me here. I ride alot in Texas at at the MX tracks its a no brainer due to the jumping and high speeds and all the tracks I have been to the people running the track wont mess around, you wear a helmet or you hit the road and dont come back!! Now the trail areas like Munster, Alligator Run, and Muddy Creek, they enforce the helmet law there even though it is private property. There is no park ranger or state official there to ticket you but again, no helmet-no riding. I dont so much mind a helmet law here in Oklahoma because being that I am enlisted in the military, I am bound to wear a helmet while operating my quad no matter what state I am in to prevent injury. If I get hurt and I am not wearing a helmet, not only am I in trouble with my chain of command, but my insurance can deny any medical bills and make me pay for it out of pocket so I got use to wearing a helmet real fast. I ride mostly at the dunes and MX tracks so I personally feel safer wearing a helmet while riding fast and hard and I am glad cause it has prevented some injurys to my otherwise worthless head in wrecks that were strictly my fault. Now if I am just out putting around taking pictures,video or relaxing on my quad or my wifes utility, I dont wear one due to the fact I am not taking a serious risk of wrecking at that moment with that type of riding, I only have to worry about someone else wrecking into me-common sense. My daughter is almost 6 and has been riding for 3 years now on her 50. No matter where she rides(front yard, track, dunes) I make her wear her helmet ,chest protector, boots and gloves, you just never know with kids, I have seen some strange wrecks with all ages but starting her out young, she has developed safety habits. The only time she isnt wearing a helmet is when she rides with me in a very slow, controlled enviroment where there is absolutely no chance of a the two of us getting into some sort of trouble. To make a long story short, I feel that if you are pushing the limits of your ability to handle the quad or your riding skill, wear protective gear and use increased common sense. I never worry about hurting my self or my quad, we are both repairable with time, but I couldnt live with myself if I hurt someone else not wearing a helmet cause I didnt use good judgement.

Steve"I feel better now I got that I got my 2 cents in"Reedy

 

Steve,
I agree with you on some things. I think places like Little Sahara and other conjested riding areas should have helmet laws, but let's think about this open minded. Do you want your daughterr to be banned from riding her 4 wheeler? Not only are they trying to require us to wear helmets, they want to ban anyone under the age of 16 from riding a ATV. We use them on the farm everday. I don't wear a helmet on the farm riding a utility doing farm work neither does my boys, but we do when we get on the sport ATV's even in the pasture. I don't need someone else telling me how to live and raise my children.

Guys there is a poll on NEWSOK.COM today about the 16 year old and under ban. Right now it is not in our favor.

We better watch this guys. There is people that want to take our freedoms away.

Ronnie (Just my two cents) Smith

 

Oh yeah, I forgot about the 16 and under thing! I don't see this happening because the big 4 would step in(Honda,Yamaha,Suzuki,Polaris) and jump on some politicians due to too many sales of atvs/dirtbikes are sold for the 16 and under crowd. I guy I work with and I talked about this last night and he was tellling me that they tried to outlaw ORM in Ohio for the 16 and under crowd and the big 4 fixed it by saying that they would not only stop selling all models of their quads and dirtbikes, they would stop selling ALL motorcycles-cruisers and crotch rockets included in Ohio and they would sue the state for all kinds of legal crap. Needless to say, Ohio took a step back and re-thinked the way they wanted to do business with the quad industry there. But mark my word, if this law were to pass here in Oklahoma, not only will I sell my property here and move back to Texas, I would burn the capital building down on the way out of town for the rest of ya left behind!! I brag to my buddies all the time back home about how liberal the laws here in Oklahoma and all the riding areas we have here, that is what made my wife and I decide to stay here after I soon get out of the military, but if all these laws kick in, the state is heading down a long,lonely,dark path if they think I am going to roll over and play dead why they pass some more worthless legislation thats not going to save the state any money or save lives.

Steve"nobody is taking the keys out of my daughters ignition but me!"Reedy

 

I still think that helmet laws are a violation of my freedom and should be my choice not some A_ _ Hole politician who has never been on one!!!
I hope the Big 4 stand up and take notice of this. Street bike riders will be next if this passes. I gaurantee it!!!

You can't legislate stupidity!!!

Jimmy

 

also further into that article they mentioned requiring roll bars on atv's. Now that is just some uninformed stupid **** A roll bar would cause far more injurys than it could prevent. At one time in Australia they were required but they saw what was happening and revoked that law. I can just see rolling your quad and the damn roll bar breaking your ribs or wrist. LOL

 

Guys we can't sit back and wait for the "BIG 4" to do it. We have to get started right now on this thing. It is easier to fight before it becomes a bill than after. We faced this with running dogs a few years ago. Liberals and tree huggers were trying to put an end to running wildlife with hounds/beagles. We got it nipped in the bud before it ever came to the Legislature. Guess what Channel 9 was on their side. They aired stories that did not contain the whole truth. It is amazing how a story takes a different slant when edited their way. I know this for a fact, my sons and I were among the hunters that they interviewed and video taped. They left out part of the story.

I have already contacted my legislators and some other legislators that I personally know and am warning them of this. Most of them use them on their farms or hunting leases.

This could open up a whole new deal with insurance companies. You could be come negligent for letting your under age child ride or if they are over 16 and get hurt if they were not to have a helmet on. Quess who is not going to cover the medical bills.

First on the front page of the Oklahoman and now on Channel 9 news and website. Guys get busy, vote on the poll, call you legislators and your riding buddies. Strength is in numbers. Let them hear from us. If no legislator picks this up and pushs it for a bill, it is dead. It could also can die in committee.

Email Channel 9 and tell them you don't approve of them on this issue.

Could this happen? Hell yes. Remember the Chicken fighting bill. People get to decide that don't even have any connection to this sport.

Ronnie (it's time to let them hear from the owners/riders) Smith

 

I just got off the phone with my local congressman and he advised me that he grew up with a dirtbike and has a farm/ranch background so there was now way he was going to support any kind of bill that would outlaw any ORM vechile for any age group period. Now he did say that if there was enough push for a helmet law, it would have to be very specific as in state parks and such, but on private propery, use common sense. I talked to him for several minutes and he sounds like a good guy so hopefully this issue is just talk and no action taken. I also placed calls to the writer at the paper, and Kevin Pipes-the state health department chief of staff, but neither have returned my call yet.

 

Guys,
I shot off an email to ARRA (Americans for Responsible Recreation Access) to get their input on the helmet law. Hopefully, I/we will soon know what their opinion on the subject is.

James

 

Keep the Rebel Outlaws informed....

Dawn
Team Rebel Outlaws

 

Ladies and Gentlemen...

Lets follow the advice of these people and begin with an E-Mail Campaign. Like someone said earlier, I believe it was Ronnie, if we can get to our legislators early, perhaps we can stop this from ever coming out of committee. The Legislature convenes sometime in early february if I remember right...it's been a while since I checked. Once we find out what the committee assignments are we can concentrate on the members of the appropriate committee. Sound good to everyone? Meanwhile the links below will take you to a roster of legislators and you can contact your individual State Senators and Representatives.

Write Early and Write Often

Members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives


Members of the Oklahoma State Senate