8 year old crashes ATV

[harvey lee]

My oldest grandaughter at age 10 has been riding a 90cc unit for 2 years. She started to ride it by herself last fall at our place in North Dakota.

She is only allowed to ride it on the lawn and the governer is set so she can only go 5mph. Yes, one can get hurt going slow but I will say she rides very well for a younger person and always wears her helmut.

We are also outside in the lawn when she rides it.

If we take the larger machines, then they ride along with an adult.

Would I lert her ride it in town or on the streets, no way but in the area we are located in ND, we have no cars or trucks in the area and she has to stay on the lawn.

[Recon]

An ATV is a real poor choice for a babysitter. Just my opinion!! Good for you Harvey Lee, rules and common sense go a long way in helping to raise kids.

[BobT]

Things can happen so quick and sometimes it doesn't take much. A couple years ago a mother was giving her child a ride. They were on a paved street in town. She tried to make a U-turn on the street and somehow flipped the machine. She died due to neck injuries despite wearing a helmet. I didn't personally witness this but the story is that she wasn't going very fast and it looked like things were in slow motion.

Now this was an experienced adult rider trying to use some common sense to be cautious. Imagine a 12-year old boy with their rammy attitudes on machines.

I was in a little bit of a mud hole once about 2 feet deep. When I was climbing the bank to get out, my wheels spun and caught a small tree root. The wheeler's rear tires suddenly got full traction and I almost found the wheeler upside down on top of me. Fortunately, I'm over 6 feet tall and so I was able to stop it. Imagine a 10-year old. He/she wouldn’t have the height or probably the strength to hold a 600 pound machine from dropping on top of them.

[Dave]

Imagine a 12-year old boy with their rammy attitudes on machines.

[TruthWalleyes]

"Darwinism will live on, no matter how hard the government tries to outlaw any possible injury or accident. Let nature take its course. Society may be better off after all... There are concequences for not using your head! "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger""

THis statement was generated towards parents, and unfortunately, kids of really dumb parents are going to suffer due to their parents lack of sense. An incident of this nature draws attention, and educates other parents who weren't 'in the know'. This certaintly is the fault of the parents, whom will pay dearly as well as their injured child. Lessons were learend.

It wasn't my intention to belittle BobT, or to aggrivate others with statements about the government mommy laws. I just want to bring into light the education that an injury or accident allows the general public to learn from, not necessarily make laws from. One ignorant person's actions causing an adolecent to get hurt is no reason to govern the public as if they understand just as little as the ignorant person.

I look at it like the bell curve. If only 5% of the public has no comprehension that injury could occur from allowing a child to operate an adult motor vehicle without any possibility of injury, then those 5% are the outlier, and not the majority, and we should not govern based on that helpless, ignorant 5% of the public.

The other 95% either understand there are risks, and take actions to reduce injury, or do not allow the individual to ride with the risks...This accident sounds like some parents who understood the possibility of injury, took some actions to reduce injury, but knew there were risks, and had an accident. They will pay, and their child will pay for the concenquences that they knowingly bypassed for an afternoon forewheeler ride.

I just don't think further laws are needed to "prevent" people from making their own choices.

[harvey lee]

An ATV is a real poor choice for a babysitter. Just my opinion!! Good for you Harvey Lee, rules and common sense go a long way in helping to raise kids.

The grandkids do not ride on or near any road.

They also are not on a full sized wheeler by themselves.

Common sense goes a long ways.

[chasineyes]

My 10 year old has been riding my 500 for the past 2 years and we have had no problems or even "close problems". I think there are 2 totally different dynamics here. One is riding around the lawn/acres and riding on "trails". The trail riding requires WAY different approach than around the lawn in low. As far as age carp, she currently is 5'2" and weighs 115 lbs. So your telling me even though she's the size of a petite woman she shouldn't be able to drive, EVEN though that "woman" can down a couple and hop on a take a joy ride for the first time and that we will have no problem with????

I see way more idiots and morons in their 30's,40's and 50's doing stupid things on sleds and atvs than kids 12 an under.

[upnorth]

Quote:

I usually just moderate but, I've been there. My sons are gonna be 16 and 18 within two months. It's the parents responsibility to deal with those teen rider attitudes. I did and it really wasn't that tough to accomplish. I feel we have a group of society (parents) that fail to see that and take responsibility.

A couple things here. Many parents today don't do much to shape their kids attitude and teach them how to be safe, and some think it is "cute" that "little Joey" is such a hot rod type of kid. I truly think it is situational, but problem is the kid may very well be the one that suffers for the parents lack of time and attention to safety.

[Big Dave2]

My 10 year old has been riding my 500 for the past 2 years and we have had no problems or even "close problems". I think there are 2 totally different dynamics here. One is riding around the lawn/acres and riding on "trails". The trail riding requires WAY different approach than around the lawn in low. As far as age carp, she currently is 5'2" and weighs 115 lbs. So your telling me even though she's the size of a petite woman she shouldn't be able to drive, EVEN though that "woman" can down a couple and hop on a take a joy ride for the first time and that we will have no problem with????

I see way more idiots and morons in their 30's,40's and 50's doing stupid things on sleds and atvs than kids 12 an under.

The big difference between a 5'2" 10 yr old and a 5'2" 30 or 40 yr old is maturity, experience and the ability to make crucial decisions. I hope you don't ever find this out the hard way.

[Dave S]

The big difference between a 5'2" 10 yr old and a 5'2" 30 or 40 yr old is maturity, experience and the ability to make crucial decisions. I hope you don't ever find this out the hard way.

Bingo. I agree Dave. I hope he doesn't find out the hard way.

[Kettle]

A couple things here. Many parents today don't do much to shape their kids attitude and teach them how to be safe, and some think it is "cute" that "little Joey" is such a hot rod type of kid. I truly think it is situational, but problem is the kid may very well be the one that suffers for the parents lack of time and attention to safety.