ATV's are they safe?

ADPiShannan · #1 06-21-2004, 11:37 PM

OK I am from a very small town off the Ohio River. We have farms all over and we are all considered hicks I guess so everyone owns ATVs and dirtbikes. I have always had one and my younger bro has 3 dirtbikes and 2 ATVs.

Anyways, do you feel ATVs are safe for kids under the age of 18? I know when I was in HS I used to take mine to peoples houses and like 20-30 people would all bring theirs and wed all do crazy stuff and stupid things and just get wild on them.

When I was in HS a boy was riding very fast with a girl on the back of his, someone I was very close to, and they got into a accident and she was killed. He served a lot of community service for it.

This weekend another boy was killed on a ATV. My mom is a doctor in the ER at our local hospital so she always sees this stuff and educates us the best she can, but its so hard on her to see these young kids killed cause of stupidity. Both in cars and ATVs. It was hard for her this weekend, cause he just graduated HS a week ago and was going to have his graduation party this next week. How hard is that on his family.

Is this a big thing where all of you are too? I just wonder if its just my town with all these kids dying on ATV crashes or is it happening a lot other places too?

Do any of you have them or hate them? I have them but I am careful on them cause I dont want something to happen, but when I was in HS I too did some stupid things on them.......

Kevin · #2 06-22-2004, 12:51 AM

Nope. Nearly everyone I know that has one (and that's a lot of folks out here) has been hurt on them at some time.

Of course, used responsibly, they're pretty safe. Unfortunately, you give a kid under 18 keys to an ATV and expect them to use it responsibly... well.. yeah right.

Tippiechick · #3 06-22-2004, 04:22 AM

My husband and I have an ATV... It scares me, though. We use it to get to the back of my parents' land. He uses it to go hunting, too. Occasionally, him and his friends ride trails on ATVs.

I think anyone under 18 should not be allowed on ATVs. Just his year, our small town has buried 3 people under 18 that died as a result of ATV accidents. We just buried a friend's brother this past morning.

ATVs are dangerous. I have almost tipped over countless times when crossing over the rough land on my mom and dad's farm. I only ride it when I absolutely have to. You have to really be careful when riding them to keep them from tipping. I know most 14, 15, 16 year-olds are not going to be paying too much attention when riding with friends.

emperorclb · #4 06-22-2004, 05:42 AM

I think they are safe as long as you dont try to exceed the limitations of the ATV or your own abalities. They are very fun to ride I rode one on a 6 mile tour to the top of a mount. and we went through mud and steep inclines. No one was hurt and everyone had fun.