Reducing Risk on the ATV trail (slanted article)

[dogs]

This was a featured article on MSN home page today. Very poor research on part of the Star/trib. The article stated

"We're trying to do all we can to reduce head injuries," said Sen. Dennis Frederickson, R-New Ulm, who sponsored the ATV helmet bill. "We're trying to be proactive."

Others aren't as certain. The ATV Safety Institute, based in California, offers a free safety course to family members and principal owners of new ATVs. In Minnesota, where there are 31 training sites, 1,310 people took the course last year. Of those, only 28 were 16 or under, said Tom Yager, ATV Safety Institute vice president."

I went through a training course with my son last fall that George Radke put on and there was @25 kids in that class alone. Contacted ATV Safety Institute today and their minimun age is 16 to attend a class. Chalk another one up to the Strib pushing their agenda. Side note; George is a he11 of a man when he states that he lost a son to a head injury the class room is at attention from there on out.

[Big Dave2]

Not to be argumentative but I think the difference is that the strib article was talking only about that perticular class put on by the atv safety institute. Was the class you attended a MN DNR sponsored safety training class? If it was, that is your difference.

Or maybe you are saying that this George guy WAS teaching an atv safety institute class. In that case, I guess the strib was wrong. But my question is, why do they have an age limit of 16?

[dogs]

My point Dave is to present that only 28 kids 16 and under have had ATV training in Minnesota last year because of only one source is a very irresponsable at the least. Especially when an entity such as the State of Minn. provides training to so many more than that(and then quote one of the states instructors). And the fact they say 16 and under, when I called the ATV Institute friday they have an age requirement of 16. My reason for the age requirment is speculation; for when you look at ATV's they have stickers saying only for riders 16 and older and the "ATV Institute" is sponsored by ATV industry. I recieved a letter from the ATV Institute after I purchased a machine and it said they will provide a $100.00 certificate for ATV products if I attend their class and the fill out a written acknowledgement that said basically you realize getting on a ATV is dangerous. To me

after reading it, it was basically a liabilty realease. It just struck me to lawyer like, so I opted out. Take care

No argument percieved.

[jakewild]

Open Trails had youth training in April and there was 81 kids 11 and up.also if they wanted to they could have checked with atvam

[dogs]

My point Jake was they did not want to check they found the answer they needed.

Take care