(CBS) Sue Rabe's 10-year-old son Kyle was all boy. He loved motorcycles, cars and, as CBS News Correspondent Sandra Hughes reports, all terrain vehicles.

"Kyle was good at riding almost everything," says Rabes.

So good he regularly rode the family's ATV on their rural Oregon farm. But one afternoon, two years ago while riding with a friend, the Rabes got the phone call from a neighbor that every parent dreads.

The 500-pound ATV had flipped and landed on top of him.

"I just stood there and screamed blood murder and he ran down to him,'' says Sue Rabe.

"I took his helmet off and started CPR," says Kyle's father Tom. "I held him in my arms."

Finding Kyle's lifeless body on the steep hill, his parent realized they had made a terrible mistake in allowing a 10-year-old to drive an adult ATV.

Because there was no law prohibiting it, the Rabes thought it was safe.

"It would have saved our son's life if there had been a law that said he was too small to ride that," says Sue Rabe.

Only half the states have set a minimum age for riding ATVs. Nineteen of those allow 12-year-olds to ride. In Utah, the minimum age is eight. Critics want a federal law that keeps all kids younger than 16 off adult ATVs.

The average new ATV cost $4,00 which is one reason many parents ignore warning labels and buy one four wheeler for the entire family.

One retired LAPD officer who lets his children ride together on an adult ATV.

He says he's aware that what he's doing is against the warning label, but allows it because, "everyone does it."

"I know you are not supposed to let them do that,'' said the officer. "But everyone does it."

While manufacturers say the warning albels are enough, the number of children hurt on ATVs has jumped 100 percent since 1993 -- and children under 12 now account for 14 percent of all deaths on ATVs.

The ATV industry says manufacturers do everything possible to make sure children are safe -- offering pint-size ATVs just for them.

"I think the vast majority of people follow the recommended guidelines but there is always going to be a few who don't," says industry spokeswoman Sheryl Van Der Leun.

Others, like the Rabes, never thought the dealer would sell them an ATV that wasn't safe for Kyle to ride.

"He could ride like any adult but when he hit the ground he was a little boy just a small little body and a big ATV,'' said Tom Rabe, speaking at his son's graveside.


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What a bunch of a$$holes. They don't look over thier son, and they blame it on the ATV, And blame it on there being no law against it. I can't stand people who don't take responsability for thier actions. It was them that let him ride a ATV that was too big for him.

"It would have saved our son's life if there had been a law that said he was too small to ride that," says Sue Rabe."

It's to bad there are people like this in our country who can't decide for themselves whether or not a machine is too big for thier own child. So they inturn want the government to do it for them, Making another decision that should be able to be made by the parents.
Every kid is different and to keep all kids off ATV's over 80 cc until they're sixteen is rediculas. I was 6 feet tall and 200 pounds when I was 14, now to put me on an 80, Well, would be quite a funny site.

 

I totaly agree with Blksnshn, Iam 14 and my Warrior is almost small for me. Iam 5'11 and 190 lbs. I cant fit on a Blaster and they want a law to make me ride a mini. Wow their messed up !!!!

 

The ATV you ride depends on your ability. Don't get me started on these people. If my twelve-year-old is capable of riding a Blaster, or a 400EX, he will: Under my SUPERVISION.

 

one minuite there saying its a family atv the next there trying to make it sound like the dealer sold it to their kid,

 

Maybe if the people who wrote this actually rode the quads they recommended for kids 15 and younger, they would understand.


They let kids under 16 like myself stop riding atvs, I am willing to bet more than half will start smoking or something because of nothing esle to do. Then, they will wonder why more kids are than before after it started to go down.

I will not start smoking or anything, but just imagine what would happened if they inforced kids on 16 not to ride quads....you know how many kids would have nothing to do? I wouldn't.


Later,
Warrior68Man

 

Yeh its like the adults bought the beer but the kid drank it [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]. Its the parents responsibility to judge if the kid has what it takes to handle a quad (or any vehicle for that matter), but for some reason they blame it on the fact that it wieghs 500 pounds but not the fact that the kid was ten years old and wieghed no more than probably 110. Cmon when i first got into atvs when I was 12 my parents took a year to finally decide on getting me one.

 

Ok i guess the big Under 16 not allowed label was just not noticalbe on the ATV! I agree that the age limit is kinda ridiculous but if your going to ignore the age limit on the atv then at least look at the riders size and ability. I mean would i let someone who has never riddin a atv ride my raptor? heck no they would have to have experiance ( and size ) before they ever started the motor. Dont blame the atv blame the dam parents that let there child get on the quad in the first place knowing that he had no right. As for the officer ignoring the age limit What happens when i drink and get on the road (no i dont drink and drive or ride for that matter )?? I can tell him everybodys doing it but is it going to make a differance?? Nope i am still going strait to jail.

 

signs, signs, and more signs.

This is about the 7th topic in just two weeks pertaining to CPSC guidelines. It's only a matter of time now.



Everyone rants about the PHYSICAL size of the ATVs that are recommended for our youth, not keeping in mind that the guideline wasn't imposed to keep 16 year olds on kiddie quads. It's there to keep mature and responsible riders on larger quads. Most 30 year olds aren't mature, true...but very, very few 15 year olds are.

Parental Supervision? Garbage.
The OEMs make it very clear. You can't supervise someone who is riding a motorized vehicle.

 

The family bought an atv for the whole family to use. I know its a big purchase, but how much would it cost to pick up a used mini quad for their kids? Its smaller, but just because it is smaller, you cant tell me a kid will not get hurt on it. It comes down to riders supervision, ATV Safety training courses set up for kids (which I know can be done) and placing the key for the quads in a place where the kids cant get them when the parents are not around.

I dont know about you, but we keep the guns in the house under lock and key. I think the same thing should go for the keys to ATV's if children are around the house.

Also, children can get hurt in a number of ways. (remember when falling out of a tree was a common thing and going to the doctors for a cast was just as common) outlawing ATV's for children will not solve anything.