Yes i know it is long (1008 words to be exact) so if you have time or are just bored please read my paper, give me any and all critisisms, adivice, corrects, whatever. If you know of any good realiable websites, magazines, brochures, etc...that would help me to add statistics and qoutes to back up my opinion let me know.

Thanks in advance
Jonesy



All-Terrain-Vehicle safety issues and regulation

Off-roading can be a great way to get out and see nature, get away from all the hustle and bustle of the city and to just have fun. This could change since All Terrain Vehicles (ATV’s) are under attack by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other groups stating that these products are not safe, and should be banned or heavily regulated. ATV's can be very safe but only if properly educated, properly clothed and being sober during the use of an ATV.

Many of the riders getting hurt are those who are inexperienced in driving and controlling an ATV. If one was to look at the statistics for automotive accidents they would see that the accident rates for young drivers are much higher because of their inexperience behind the wheel, this same correlation has also occurred in ATV’s. ATV’s require a different riding style and knowledge to ride safely. As with any sport you must start small and work your way up to the bigger obstacles and more technical type of riding.

A new rider should start on level ground without any obstructions that they could collide with, then work there way to climbing and descending hills, again starting off small then working there way up to bigger and steeper hills. I learned how to approach some obstacles by recreating them in an open field and then learning how to clear them safely.

A few companies have helped greatly by the implementation of free safety courses to the buyers of new ATV owners along with including safety equipment such as a helmet, goggles, and gloves with the purchase of a new ATV. Now it is up to the rest of the companies that produce these machines to get their act together and follow suit in offering these classes and at least a helmet with the purchase of one of their vehicles. Doing this will likely increase the awareness of the dangers and decrease the amount of injuries by properly educating the public.

Many times these safety courses are only 4-5 hours long and go over many important issues associated with riding an ATV. Some of these issues include; emergency maneuvers for when you are in trouble, how to approach trail obstacles with the least risk of injury, how to control the vehicle at speed, how to ride without unduly tearing up the land, and many other important issues.

These courses are becoming more widely known and respected. More and more riding areas require a rider under the age of 16 to have completed a safety course in order for them to ride in the park. While more companies are offering these courses with the purchase of a new ATV, those with vehicles already may be interested in these courses. In that case the courses normally only cost $75-100 and worth every penny, especially for a new rider. I personally found the course very informative and helpful. I have been riding ATV‘s for over 10 years and still gained new knowledge from the course I attended.

Unlike an automobile, ATV’s do not have a protective cage around the driver. Due to the lack of a protective structure a certain type of dress is recommended; much like street motorcycles, a helmet, leather boots, and other protective gear are highly recommended for safety reasons. In the end it is up to the rider on how much protective gear that they should wear, because as of yet there is no law stating that a person has to wear a helmet on private land. A law that would make wearing a helmet mandatory would likely reduce the number of injuries.

The wearing of safety equipment such as helmets is up to the rider on private lands, but most, if not all, public riding areas have a minimum requirement of at least having a helmet on. As with the seatbelts that are placed in cars for safety purposes and possibly saving the drivers or passengers life, the same holds true for wearing a helmet while off-roading; everyone thinks it is a good idea, just not everyone does it.

As with any motorized type of transportation the mixture of alcohol and driving is a very dangerous situation. A very high percentage of those seriously injured or killed while riding an ATV are not wearing a helmet and/or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Many times people will become intoxicated and attempt to ride an ATV beyond their riding abilities and end up getting hurt or killed because of their ignorance or stupidity. These people that become intoxicated and then cause trouble are the minority that gives the whole sport a bad name. It is this bad name that people see on the news or in the newspaper and they draw conclusions about the sport as a whole because of the actions or inactions of a few.

ATV’s and ATC’s (All Terrain Cycles, aka three wheeler‘s) were similarly attacked in 1987 and 1988. This was brought about after the rise in deaths associated with these vehicles. Many restrictions and regulations were imposed on the companies that produced these products. Now it seems the same argument is back with new people behind it. (will insert more info once research is completed)

It is to be expected that if the number of ATV’s sold increases the amount of injuries associated with the product will likely increase as well. But if more people would just use common sense while riding there would be a huge decrease in the number of injuries and fatalities. The general public just needs to be educated.

As you can see ATV's can be very safe but only if properly educated, properly clothed and sober during the use of an ATV. It is now up to the companies to help as much as they can but most of the burden lays on the public, to protect this sport. So if you haven't already, get educated and get out and experience Mother Nature up close and personal.

 

A very informative essay to start off with. from what i could tell everything seemed true and correct. (but then again i could have missed something) and if i was againsts quads that would probly convince me to not be. also are you wrighting this for school r what? i was j/w. great essay!!!

 

Yeah this is for my english class....we were told to pick a contoversial issue, take a position on it and defend it.

 

well i think u did a very good job, let me know what u make on it.

 

INDENT UR PARAGRAPHS!!!!!!!!

 

I tried but the forum wouldn't let me...so just double spaced between the paragraphs. Any other critisism? This is the revised version of my paper that i got a D on. I need to bring it up to at least a C. What can i do to improve this paper.

I don't expect you to write my paper for me or do my homework but i do need help and guidance on where to go from here.

thanks
Jonesy

 

alright..... let me see what i can see. well, first of all, it is an awesome essay, i think. i did find a couple grammatical errors, i think.

second paragraph-- between "wheel" and "this" should start a new sentence, instead of having a comma. where you have "different riding style and knowledge" you might try "different riding style and more knowledge"

third paragraph--"there" should be "their"

fourth paragraph-- instead of "by the implementation", try "by implementing" (doesn't sound as wordy) and in that same sentence... "buyers of new ATV owners"... the way it is now you are saying that i am buying the new owner of an ATV. lol, take out owners. at the end of that sentence you can take out "of a new ATV", because you already said what was bought... makes it more concise.

fifth paragraph--instead of "many times" try "lots of the time" or something like that, because you say "many" just a few words later. after "include" take out the semi-colon, you don't need it. maybe (but you don't need to) instead of sayin "how to" a bunch of times, try "controlling the vehicle at speed", "riding...".

sixth paragraph-- i'll finish later, when does it need to be passed in?

again, very good ideas, and well organized ........ hope i helped a bit!!

 

Sixth paragraph-- Change “those with vehicles already may be interested in these courses” to “those already owning an ATV may be interested also”. Change “courses” to “course” and “cost” to “costs”. Instead of a hyphen between 75 and 100 use “to”. Also, add “are” after “and” and before “worth”.

Seventh paragraph—after structure, add a comma. Change “protective” to “safety”, add “protective” before “dress” and instead of “highly recommended for safety reasons” put “are included in the list of proper attire”.

Eighth paragraph—very nice!

Ninth paragraph—change “and they draw” to “who then draw”

Tenth paragraph—insert more info!! Take out the apostrophe in “wheeler’s”

Eleventh paragraph—take out the apostrophe in “ATV’s”. maybe change “just” to “simply”

Twelfth paragraph—add “the operator is” after “if”. Also, if you want, you can take out “properly” before “clothed”. I *think* that you want to take out the comma after “public”.

 

Thank you ineedtoride for the input....it is all those small little things that hold up my papers from being as good as they can be.

Thanks
Jonesy

 

Im a sophmore in highschool, so i dont want to be misleading if i were to say something, But that was a great essay, how the hell did you get a D? that should have earned either an A or B, well, if you added ineedtorides input in it. That is a good point about riders should wear helmets even if they are on their own land. Just Sunday, I hit a 45+ foot table-top with the banshee, the rear tire hit the flat part of the table top and the front tires were over the edge of it. When the rear tires hit, the rebound slung-shot me infront of my banshee with it moving at about 35/40mph. I was run over by my own quad (kinda humiliating, lol) and when it got off of me, it was still moving fast enough to roll up on top of a 4 ft mound of dirt. I almost had a concussion, i have scrapes/ bruises all over me, and i threw up about an hour later because my head started hurting so bad. I looked at my helmet and it had many large scrapes on it, which could have easily been my head if i werent wearing my helmet, my chest protector was also scraped up too. sorry i didnt help your question much at all, but i was just carrying on about your topic. i guess ill post a thread about this later....Anyway, great report and slap your teacher if she doesnt give you anything above a C.