Rich_Simon
Member
- Jul 11, 2004
- 18
- 0
I was riding out at Rocky Ridge near Dallas TX this weekend and I am really at a loss for words to describe what I saw. However, I have to rant for the sake of our kids.
We have all seen it, we go riding, and there are kids on big ATVs with no gear on at all, there are others that have partial gear and then worse, there are ATVs with 2-3 kids all with various levels of gear from nothing to full gear. This weekend wouldn't be any different than any other since as I said, we have all seen it. However, this last Sunday had two accidents. One required an ambulance and the other, more difficult one to swallow required life flight and ambulances. There is no need to get into the details, but I know the one that was taken via life flight was a very young child that was riding double with another older person. :yikes:
I know it is tough being a parent, but the responsibility for these accidents is with the parents. How can we allow our kids to ride double on a vehicle that is designed for a single person and then even worse send them out with no protective gear. I know we justify it by saying. "Oh, its just a road, they can't get hurt." That isn't true, head on collisions occur, blind turns are very dangerous on roads when you have someone racing down a road. And whose to say the kids will say on level ground. The worst accident came from climbing a hill and the ATV flipped over on sending them all tumbling down the hill. These are extreamly dangerous machines if not ridden properly and protective gear isn't worn. Don't these parents realize this?
Aside from the accidents, I saw several very dangerous situations, one being a parent on a racing ATV in full gear going over 50 MPH pulling wheelies with a kid on the back with no gear what-so-ever. :yikes: I gues its important for the parent to be protected, but the kid doesn't matter? I just can't understand what they must be thinking, or maybe that's the problem they aren't thinking until its too late, and then they get are shocked into reality as they see their child laying there hurt badly enough for life flight.
On the other hand, it is rare that I see a parent send their kid off on a motorcycle without full gear. Isn't that amazing.. We won't send our kids out on a 120 pound mini bike without full gear, but we send them out on a 400+ pound ATV riding doubles and without protective gear? I am sure these are not the same parents, but it goes to show our thought process. We think ATVs are safe and motorcycles are dangerous. I believe otherwise, they are both dangerous and its our responsibility as good parents to make sure our kids are safe by sending them out in full gear and only letting them ride vehicles as they are designed. That also includes not sending a small child out on a big utility ATV. This is simply nuts.
In today's world, kids are taken away from parents for a lot less (ie, spanking or over correcting, leaving alone at home, etc.) I think things would change dramatically, if parents were held responsible for not providing and making their kids wear protective gear, and ride on ATVs / Bikes that are age appropriate and the proper size for the child. I don't agree with the government being over protective of children and not letting us be parents, but at the same time, this is negligence on the parent's part and it is putting their childs life in danger.
I would be interested to hear parent's opinion on this that DO allow their kids to ride like this and hear why they feel they are justified in endangering their child's life. It would be good to hear why they believe they should allow this.
I am sure many of the people that read this and allow thier kids to do these types of activities without protection will blow this off, but maybe SOMEONE will at least read it and think twice about needlessly putting their child in a life threatening situation. :bang:
We have all seen it, we go riding, and there are kids on big ATVs with no gear on at all, there are others that have partial gear and then worse, there are ATVs with 2-3 kids all with various levels of gear from nothing to full gear. This weekend wouldn't be any different than any other since as I said, we have all seen it. However, this last Sunday had two accidents. One required an ambulance and the other, more difficult one to swallow required life flight and ambulances. There is no need to get into the details, but I know the one that was taken via life flight was a very young child that was riding double with another older person. :yikes:
I know it is tough being a parent, but the responsibility for these accidents is with the parents. How can we allow our kids to ride double on a vehicle that is designed for a single person and then even worse send them out with no protective gear. I know we justify it by saying. "Oh, its just a road, they can't get hurt." That isn't true, head on collisions occur, blind turns are very dangerous on roads when you have someone racing down a road. And whose to say the kids will say on level ground. The worst accident came from climbing a hill and the ATV flipped over on sending them all tumbling down the hill. These are extreamly dangerous machines if not ridden properly and protective gear isn't worn. Don't these parents realize this?
Aside from the accidents, I saw several very dangerous situations, one being a parent on a racing ATV in full gear going over 50 MPH pulling wheelies with a kid on the back with no gear what-so-ever. :yikes: I gues its important for the parent to be protected, but the kid doesn't matter? I just can't understand what they must be thinking, or maybe that's the problem they aren't thinking until its too late, and then they get are shocked into reality as they see their child laying there hurt badly enough for life flight.
On the other hand, it is rare that I see a parent send their kid off on a motorcycle without full gear. Isn't that amazing.. We won't send our kids out on a 120 pound mini bike without full gear, but we send them out on a 400+ pound ATV riding doubles and without protective gear? I am sure these are not the same parents, but it goes to show our thought process. We think ATVs are safe and motorcycles are dangerous. I believe otherwise, they are both dangerous and its our responsibility as good parents to make sure our kids are safe by sending them out in full gear and only letting them ride vehicles as they are designed. That also includes not sending a small child out on a big utility ATV. This is simply nuts.
In today's world, kids are taken away from parents for a lot less (ie, spanking or over correcting, leaving alone at home, etc.) I think things would change dramatically, if parents were held responsible for not providing and making their kids wear protective gear, and ride on ATVs / Bikes that are age appropriate and the proper size for the child. I don't agree with the government being over protective of children and not letting us be parents, but at the same time, this is negligence on the parent's part and it is putting their childs life in danger.
I would be interested to hear parent's opinion on this that DO allow their kids to ride like this and hear why they feel they are justified in endangering their child's life. It would be good to hear why they believe they should allow this.
I am sure many of the people that read this and allow thier kids to do these types of activities without protection will blow this off, but maybe SOMEONE will at least read it and think twice about needlessly putting their child in a life threatening situation. :bang:
