Who dat.. in your characterization of supervision, you hit on many sore points about the whole deal.. and realistically, I don't know what is defensible or chargable.. In my mind, I would say that a parent in the general vicinity and who's focus is concentrated on the child's activity is What I would be aiming at... Certainly just being in the vicinity is better than nothing at all. There are steps that can be taken as well, like locking up the keys when parents are not around ... or putting locks on the machine and you hold the keys...etc.

I was wathing a woman who was with her child riding this past weekend. She was sitting in her lounge chair, aparently reading a book out in teh middle of a flat field while junior was riding around in circles. To me, because she was present, that was acceptable... certainly you have to give them credit for being there.

I have recently ordered a chatterbox setup to clip on to my son's and my helmets.. so I can talk to him at all times when riding. It won't give me the ability to reach out and pull the kill switch, but it will let me tell him to apply the brakes or slow down for a corner, pull over for an approaching rider etc. I recommend that everyone take a look at and consider using them when training or riding with your kids. They also have a hand held walkie talkie model for those times when you are just standing around doing some teaching without having to wear your helmet. You can spend big bucks and get ones with a stated range of up to 5 miles, or go cheap and get ones that only work up to 200 feet or so. They clip on, so you can take them from helmet to helmet if you have multiple pupils.

 

The way I see it know this whole topic is going in circles.

My little girl has been on four-wheelers since she was 2 weeks old, she has watched daddy, mommy, uncles, and my friends ride and we all have taught her some pretty important things about 4-wheelers.

She rides with my mom on the back of the Harley and loves it, I think the more we expose our kids to this kind of enviroment the better they will be on future judgements

 

Yeah I'll admit we have gotten off track... but I also would say that in your case, would I consider the exposure that your daughter has received as being normal? I think not. I think it would be hard to characterize what is the "norm"... certainly this coversa a broad spectrum of skills, experience etc. Much of what we are talking about here I think applies to the middle of the road family experience.

To summarize... I think there are prudent steps that parents can take to make the ATV experience at least as safe as any of the other organized sports available today. They include:


Purchasing and enforcing the wear of safety gear to include helmets, gloves, boots, eye protection, long sleeve shirts, long pants, and neck rolls.

Parental supervision and involvement in training programs is essential. Anything less should be considered criminal.

Proper sizing of machines to the child's size, age and abilities... allowing for stepping up as the child is able to demonstrate ability to operate and handle increased responsibility that comes with it.

Registration of ATV's is cofusing and some consider them to be discriminatory when compared to other forms of motorized recreation. Any funds collected in teh name of ATV registration should go to improving existing and building new riding areas, and not put in the general funds account of the states.

The current guidelines as published are not perfect, but represent an honest attempt to come up with a middle of the road starting point. When combined with programs that allow progression by demonstrated abilities, can serve as a good and honest program that can be enforced.

Current training courses are limited in their scope to rigid guidelines. Currently not flexible enough to allow instructors to deviate in areas of skills or away from guidelines. Thus limiting the audience and not reaching many of the younger riders who need the training the most. It is here that I at least feel the biggest changes and improvements could be made, but it has to start with the national safety organizations. Things change and require tweaking.. let's study it and make changes. Look at what some states are doing. (I like MN's program of certifying that a kid can handle a larger machine) Make the recommendations to the legislators to effect change... stop being the 200 pound gorilla and work with those that are trying to effect change.. and base your judgement on facts, not opinions...

Steps can be taken to make the kid sized machines safer.. Lights on all machines should be an industry standard. Kids machines do not require more ground clearance, they need wider stances to make them harder to tip onto two wheels or roll.

The ATV enthusiast, each and every one of them are important, and we need to speak with one voice....whether we agree with each other or not.

 

My 2 cents.........

You know your child and what there limitations are.

If you are a worry-wart about your child and think they are
not able to handle rifing a quad safely then keep them inthe yard
with a bucket of water ballons.

If you actually spend time with your children and teach them to respect
the machine and want to do some good family fun then buy the quad.

My son is 10 1/2 and rides a Raptor 80, he also is able to hop on my sled and ride it around
in 1st gear. I've seen a couple of glares when he was on my 660 and I just glare right back
with the finger waiving.

To each is own and opinions are like @ssholes.........

 

I think there are so many problems that to sum it up in one post is dificult.

Example.

Alot of kids (and it seems like more and more) have very little respect for parental authority. I think this comes from a combination of parents who don't spend enough time with them and telivision which likes to portray parents as loving morons. This is a huge problem because if your children don't respsect you they won't listen to you. I've watched parents go out and buy a their kids a small quad with all the proper gear, supervise their kids and try to tell them how to ride. The kids stare off into space waiting for their parents to shut up so they can push the button.

We need to focus on teaching alot of parents how to parent first, before they have much of a chance teaching their kids anything.

 

My Philosophy is "put the fear of Dad" in them !

If you're kids don't respect you, what in the hell are you thinking
by buying them a quad.

If my son gets less than a "B" on his report card there is no riding for him
until the next semester when grades improve. (trust me it works)

I see a lot of so called parants raising kids, and they do a sh@t job at it
and thats why we have kids on drugs and gangs and total disrespect in school.

 

BALDMIKE, Your pretty much right on, especially about spending time with your kids. My kids have been riding about 8 years now, my youngest has 6 years under her belt and she is only 8(she started out on a Barbie Jeep). She respects the power quads have. I do not have a problem letting her ride our bigger quads. I have a picture of her on our LT160. She asks if she can ride it and what gear i want her to ride it in? She respects what she has and knows her riding ability as I do. She is under constant supervision. I love watching my girls ride. I guess I'm a proud dad watching them progress.
To many adults want to jump the learning process. They don't want to buy a quad that is "to small" only to sell it in a year or two.

 

rescuediver exactly !

Parants these days, I'd say about 60-70% don't know how to raise a child.
Away from my kid I am smokin my medicine and having a good time.
But when my kid is around I am the portrait of a true Father.
I don't drink or smoke anywhere around him and teach him the finer things in life.

It's all about how you raise your kids, spend quality time with them and it pays off,
put your children in front of tv's with video games to babysit them and see them turn to sh@t !

 

I agree with both of you. I think education is key to the situation. It used to be extended families that educated new parents to a large extent. I don't think that happens near as much today as it used to. I know personally it has been a lifesaver having my parents living within 20 miles of us. I always thought I would want to be as far as possible from them, now I'm glad theyre there.

 

Glimp, I hear what you are saying about family. When I get tired of them, I just leave[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

BALDMIKE, You are correct about the video/tv babysitters