Another local ATV 4-wheeler death...

[ChickenAlgebra]

All the kids except 3 y/o drive them. None of the kids, even 18 & 14 y/o, have keys to the high powered ones. Must wear full face helmet while on, no jacking around, no racing. Sibling tattling is enough to be busted for breaking the rules.

 

[Dannee]

I'm sorry but everyday that you leave your house in a car...you risk an accident (weather it is your fault or someone elses). So do you stop driving? You go hiking you risk a snake bite, you go swimming you risk a cramp and drowning....you cant stop living because of fear.....you lose life......just my own opinion....many of us ride quads and have had no injury......doesn't mean we cant have an accident or injury, however that risk comes with everything in life....just saying......

 

[gamebirdboy]

Quote:
X2 Better to live your life happy than in a bubble.

 

[maple]

Haven't heard of any reports of those in these parts.


I think it's a matter of being responsible when you drive anything like an ATV or snowmobile or motorcyle or jet ski....

Some people push the fast factor and loose control and therein lies the danger. Many people enjoy these recreational sports without any incidents and yet, even experience riders have been known to have accidents some where they were able to walk away from it and some where they were not able to walk away.


I rode as a rider on the back of one one time with a friend...he tore through his property at a fast pace and scared the boogers out of me going through trees and such but he knew his property where as I did not and would have proceeded with more caution...what he DIDN'T expect was one of his horses to be standing in the middle of the lane (who had accidently gotten out) making him have to veer to the right sharply and we tipped it some but instinctively I put my foot down to prevent it...only to be run over by the back wheel...leaving a nasty scrape on my toe since I was wearing my tevas (sandals) probably worthy of an ER visit but I didn't go...instead I just limped and hurt like heck for a number of days...weeks...

Lesson...never let crazy friends drive and you never know when a horse might get loose.

Often you hear of snowmobile accidents involving such things such as a barbed wire fence that wasn't very visible if it was dusk or dark or just the simple fact that it's hard to control when you are going at a rate of speed and say the ice caught you off gaurd and flipped you...same with an ATV....gravel or brush depending on where someone ATV's can become a slidding/tipping factor and must be considered.

At much as they can pose a danger...so can the day she is old enough to drive a car, dad. But I assume you will trust her to make the decision to drive responsibly and know if an accident happens...that's what it is...an accident and all must be forgiven. We all take that risk every day when driving.

Sometimes these things are short lived so I'd look for a used one that is still in good shape. I have a daughter who is not athletic but she sees the rest of the neighborhood over by my mom riding those electric scooters. I was afraid for her...thought she'd fall and have to get stitches...get a concusion...break an arm...I got her one because I know that's what she wanted the most for her birthday. She tried it and was scared and would jump off and dump it. This year her balance is better. She's not where other kids are who are her age or even younger when it comes to things like this but I don't want to deny her. She may play for hours with a silly little beany baby stuffed animal and spent a whole 20 minutes trying to ride that thing but she tried and she'll keep trying and one of these days she'll get the hang of it. I believe in her. I also trust that she will not abuse it and ride it irresponsibley like I've seen some kids swerving in parking lots and not paying much attention to traffic when they go beyond the bike path part when they are heading home.

I have another daughter who is 5 and has almost no fear... I will have to believe the things I teach her and tell her about the ways of the world and life that she will abide by them and when she does...drive...or what have you...that she will know that is not the time to push limits and boundries but to follow the laws of the road for her safety and the safety of others. I remember seeing the litttle dirt motorbike racers one time at the 4-H fair and thinking...oh boy, if Ava see's that, she's gonna wanna do that. Same with muttin bustin and rodeo stuff...she sees it... she's gonna wanna do it.

I can't say that I won't worry...because I will....but I want them to live and experiance life and if financially you can make it happen then I wouldn't hinder it... I would let them spread thier wings and then pray earnestly for thier saftey. If they disobey the rules set by you...then take it away and give her another chance...disobeys again....sell it. Like I said...it could be short lived or it could be like my daughter and her electric scooter and be collecting dust in the garage.

And if there's someone you know that's older and more experienced...set it up so she can take lessons on the rules of running one of those things. Make it mandetory.... 3-5 sessions of an hour 1/2 long.

It's like me taking a sailboating class before I got a sailboat....but she may need the ATV for her sessions if the older more experianced person doesn't have an extra one her size...

 

[maple]

Quote:

You already had your mind up before posting this. I can tell. You were just hoping more people would tell you how horrid and idea it was for your daughter to get one so you could feel "more" justified in telling her no. No is a hard thing to hear... it's a hard pill to swallow. I remember my dad telling me no plenty of times and I always thought... what an %^&?!!! He's so mean... It doesn't matter now, he said yes about plenty too...even if he was a big ol meany at times.

Thing is...what you said has validity and should not be ignored by your daughter. She's at the age now that you make the rules. What you say goes. But I think you should have a heart to heart at least with her so she will understand and maybe you two can work on something in "exchange" to make the blow less hard. She's a book worm? A kindle? A pottery class? I dunno...just ideas I had.

Whatever you decide it will be ok.

 

[Dannee]

We always fear the unknown....it's nature....maybe if you and your daughter went to an atv course together, and learned how to ride them correctly, safely and with all the proper safety gear....you would enjoy it as much as she would if not more...and you would know she knew the proper and safe way to ride them.....just a thought

 

[BrattishTaz]

I had several friends injured or killed in three- and four-wheeler accidents when I was younger (3 of them hit cows). All of the kids around here had them. My parents first put me on a bladeless riding mower when I was three years old. I later got a go cart which I did some really stupid things on.

I crashed several times, flipped it on top of me, and even sideswiped my dad's car with the thing (ripped the whole bumper off) and walked away with no injuries. Perhaps a go-cart is the safest option.

I took out a porch with a four- wheeler and about flipped it....I didn't want to drive that again. I hit a patch of sand while speeding on a dirt bike, broke my finger and got some nasty cuts. I would not let my girls ride either of these.

 

[Cold Canadian]

Around here there are a lot of accidents with quads ! Most riders seem to behave and follow the rules , but there are those who don't and they sometimes pay the price for it .I see alot of young kids on machines way to big for them and they have no goveners on there machines and also most don't wear helmets ? I have a small quad for my son and I'm teaching him the ropes as far as safe rideing .He actually had a rough start with the quad when he got it ! It was birthday present and I had ridden this small 110 quad onto a area of the lawn where his mother was going to take a picture of him on it .After the pictures I with out remembering that I had set the govener for my weight and not that of a small child told him to give it a bit of gas .Well he throttled the quad and it took off full speed straight through a hedge and just missed a large tree and piled into a shed throwing him onto the ground ! I really had to question my dessision on getting him the quad at that point ? I thought I had lost him at that point.We had bought him a chest protecter as well as a helmet ,gloves etc .......but they were for opening at his party .In the end it actually worked out for the better , he has a lot of respect for the quad and only this year did he start rideing it a bit faster and actually on his own with out us following him with the intent of pulling the stop cord in case something went wrong .He's listening, slows down when he feels scared and understands that his actions control the machine .He also understands that at any time if I feel he's not respecting the machine I will get rid of it ! he also doesn't want to die ...........

 

[chickened]

Mine have warning stickers all over them, unless you have been on Mars the last 20 years you know the risks, you are responsible for stupid behavior and not inspecting the integrity of the ATV.

 

[ChickenAlgebra]

Spook, it sounds like YOU are not ok with your DD having an ATV. So, that's enough to me. However, if she rides them, I'd vote to have her and you take an ATV safety course and get her a good helmet.