anyone see the end of the 60 min about 20 min ago, CBS evening news is going to do a story on kids and ATV safety Thursday evening It didn't look good for ATV'ers. the short clip they showed looked like they had video's of kids around 10+ riding big utility atv's... looks like they were trying to build up an anti-atv public.

 

Its kind of a oxymoron to blame CBS. Is it not like blaming the weatherman for hail dents in your car?

(apologies to Brian Mills - plagerism is using one persons work - research is using the work of several)

Ever notice all the warning stickers and age limitations placed on ATV’s? That was part of the "Consent Decree" the ATV industry had to put in place to convince our government not to ban ATV’s when the injury and fatality numbers were compiled back in the 1980’s.

In their effort to protect consumers the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) set the minimum age to operate an ATV at 6 years old. Six through eleven year olds may only operate an ATV of no more than 50 cc’s. Twelve through fifteen year olds may not operate an ATV in excess of 90 cc’s. Sixteen year olds may operate any size machines.

Because of the extraordinary increases in ATV sales and more significantly the disproportionate increases both in frequency and in severity of recent ATV injuries – our government is again looking at ways to protect consumers.

The CPSC has been conducting formal research into the current ATV accident reports. The top issues identified as being most likely responsible for the disproportionate increases of ATV injuries were 1) youthful operators (under age or inappropriate machine size ) 2) physical weight of the newer ATV’s and 3) speed or performance of today’s ATV machines.

Currently there are additional federal regulations being proposed and we may be on the preface of restricted ATV maximum engine size, restricted machine weight and a complete ban of non auto-licensed operators.

As a comparison - according to the Minnesota DNR - ATV’s are now equal in number to snowmobiles. Although the numbers of machines are similar – the number of injuries is 300% higher from ATV’s. Survey research of Minnesota hospitals demonstrated that the greatest numbers of ATV injuries are in the 11-15 year old age bracket. This is on par with the national estimates. The outstanding explanation is the distinctly smaller percentage of under 15 year olds operating snowmobiles unsupervised.

You can legally depart from the CPSC minimum age standards in some States with the completion of an ATV youth operator safety certification. Some States link the youth ATV certificate to that person’s future drivers license. Youthful ATV violations can delay getting a drivers license from 16 to 18 in some places and may affect the youth’s insurance rates.

Only when parents adhere to the established minimum age requirements for child operators will the focus come off of the sport as dangerous and inapproprietely placing children at risk. The attention to youthful and inexperienced riders for safety and responsible riding will only go away when the injury and property damage incidents are reduced and they move off of the public radar scope. The first step is for parents to start putting their kids on the right size quads.

Unfortunately. well-intended parents who depart from the minimum age guidelines – often for what seems at the time a good valid reason (because of the childs size as one example) – unwittingly become part of the problem when they have to take their child to the doctor for patching or repair.

If large numbers of kids were not getting injured - CBS wouldnt find the issue worth reporting.

For myself - I challenge the ATV manufactures to build a machine worthy in size and equipment to meet the needs of 12-15 year olds. Its not the engine size, as my daughters 90 has been to mountains forest and sloppy swamp. What she needed was the size of a Recon within the legal power of a 90cc.

 

Here we go again!!!

Trying to legislate comon sense!!! Instead of punnishing all people who allow there children to ride, why don't we hold parents responsible who have there children riding 500cc machines! To limit an 11 YO to a 50 cc is assinine!! come on now if we are not careful none of us will be riding!

The reason that CBS is airing this program is because it is CHIC to blame ATV's for all the worlds problems! If you really want to go after the child killer go after bycicles, 10 times the injuries, or maybe improperly restrained children in motor vehichles! Both of those have many, many more injuries and deaths than ATV's but you never hear about them limiting them!

Chris

 

Just monday they changed the law for kids in vehicles again. It's now kids 6yrs old or less than 60 pounds have to ride in child safety car seats. Thats a big 6 yrs old, my seven year old only weighs 51. I wish someone would come up with size appropriate items for preteens.

 

The age size requirement is beyond stupid. Yesterday I had a 14 year old boy in my office who is 6'1" and 245 the kid has arms bigger than mine and is not fat. I don't care if you did have a bigger 90 cc machine it would not be able to motor him up any kind of hill. I am tired of people who want to roll over and give in everytime some stupid group get an agenda. This is a enviromentalist driven agenda, the tree huggers love it. We are an easy target because we don't ban together and work to get good info out. This plays well in the cities were relatively speaking the percentage of people who own ATV's is low. They don't atack the motorcycles because lots of city folk have street bikes and can still identify with the dirt bikes. We have all noticed that Bicycles are just as dangerious and get many more kids hurt than ATVs but we don't pull together and fight them using this info to good advantage. It will take organization and group effort becaue the media plays to the liberal left and endorses the Green agenda. It is really about trying to kill the activity and get people out of the forests because the granolas and enviro ***** believe we shouldn't be there. If they don't slow or stop the activity now there will soon be too many and they will have to recognize our voting power. They see the growth and want it stopped before it endangers their green agenda. All the rest is just smoke to hide what they are really after. Just like the garbage used to get snowmobiles out of yellowstone. The agenda was get people out of the forest nothing more. Next they are going to try and limit how many people can go in the park during the day this has been done in some parks already. Then they try and limit the experience by making people go in in buses. That is not a fun family way to do things helps prevent people from passing the activity down to the next generation. You can see where it goes. Prevent the children from enjoying it when they are young and they won't be involved in it when they grow up. Long term plan to get rid of activity the same way they have worked at ending and limiting hunting. I really have no use for enviromentalist or the liberal media that caters to them and their beliefs.

 

All the news cares about is stirring up controversy. It sells. Goody goody feel good doesn't get ratings.

So it's the percentage of kids that get killed, not the total number that matters? Far more kids get killed riding bicycles. Let's ban those! It'll save more lives.

You would have a 15 year old legally jump from a 90cc to a what? Let's run out and buy him a Raptor! There needs to be growing room.

Sure, a 100cc quad that goes 25mph is too dangerous but an 80cc dirt bike that goes 60mph is OK?

A kid that starts out at 5 will be much more advanced by 12 then a newbie at 40 years of age.

And I've got news for you, it's just as dangerous to be underpowered as overpowered. You need to consider terrain. Mud and sand require more power but they are a heck of alot safer than your trails through the woods.

You want to see a decrease in fatalities, start fining parents for not supervising their kids.

 

WhoDatInDaMud,

Here's the deal and I'm going to assume I'm not the only one that feels this way. Why is the ATV industry to blame? The media(People magazine and now CBS) are running stories with an obvious agenda. The stories are always the same, "Little Billy was just doing what he loved, riding his dad's (insert 700 lbs adult quad here) around the farm, around the track, around the neighborhood, or down the street. We had no idea something like this could ever happen. We would have never let him ride if we had known the outcome."

Here is where you can help me. How is the ATV industry to blame? Rules and guidelines are already in place. The only person to blame for a tradgedy like the one above is the parents themselves! When a child is killed on an adult quad, the parent's should be prosecuted. When a child is hurt on any quad, while riding without proper protective gear, the parent's should be prosecuted.

If my 13 year old decides to take my car for a joyride, has a wreck and is killed,,,should I(or others) blame Ford Motor Company?
If my 13 year old unlocks my gun cabinet, takes out a shotgun and kills himself,,,should I(or others) blame Remington?
If my 13 year old stabs somebody, should I(or others) blame Case or Buck knives?
If my 10 year old is allowed to ride my 600 lbs. quad and is killed, should I(or others) blame Honda?

The answers are not no, but h*ll no! It is very sad that in today's society, we are always looking to blame someone other than ourselves. As tragic as the accidents are that are being reported, it is even more tragic that the parents(and others) are trying to pass the buck for their own failed attempt at parenting. It's that simple, that cut and dry.

With that being said, you stated that there have been disproportionate increases of ATV injuries in your state. Don't give us that goverment speak crap, give us real figures.

1. How many of those accidents were attributed to children riding adult quads?
2. How many were attributed to not wearing a helmet?
3. How many happened on public roads?

If you take the above three out of the equation, do we have a story at all? I'd bet not.

The bottom line is that the ATV industry is receiving an uncalled for black-eye from leftist media outlets and people who have failed at their jobs of parenting. Not some, but all the blame should fall squarely on the shoulders of the people who allow their children to ride adult sized quads, without protective gear, and unsupervised. Additional federal regulations are not the answer. Hold the people responsible for these tragadies, the parents, and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. This entire debate should be about protecting our children. Additional federal laws CAN NOT do that!

I agree with some of the CPSC guidelines, others I do not. Children shouldn't be limited to a certain "class" based upon age alone. All 13 year olds are not alike. Some have been riding quads all their lives, others are first timers. You can't treat them all the same, based strictly on age.

In a perfect world, I'd like to see all ATV dealers have to conduct an on-site "drivers test". Scores would be issued for how they "fit" the quad, as well as driving ability. The total score would determine if they were better suited for a 50cc, 90cc, 150cc quad.

I hope this post doesn't come across as cold-hearted. As a parent of two, I can't fathom losing one of my children. However, if one of the above scenarios occured, I'd look squarely in the mirror when looking for someone to blame.

I for one appreciate your contributions here, although I don't agree with a lot of them.

Fish

 

My exact feelings on the entire matter! I couldn't have said it better myself.

 

I agree with Fish 100%. Just another thought. There trying to do the same with guns. Guns don't kill people, PEOPLE do. ATV's don't kill PEOPLE PEOPLE do! So don't blame ATV's. Blame the STUPID PARENTS!

 

Oh, he just took what I said and made it sound 100 times better! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]