ATVs are really unsafe and a huge flipping hazard. Those Razr style ATVs are much safe since they have roll bars. I hope she is okay.
My BFF in high school lost her nephew to an ATV flip, too. My mom was the med-evac nurse on scene and it really shook her and of course BFF's family to their cores. DS will never ride one.
Post by rondonalddo on Feb 6, 2017 10:52:39 GMT -5
How awful :-(
I follow our local conservation office on fb, and they update with ATV accidents all the time. My husband grew up riding 4-wheelers in the woods as a kid, and I didn't even realize how dangerous these are until recently.
I used to work for a major manufacturer of ATVs and had to read the details of the lawsuits included in the liability reserves. Some of the details are still with me. No kid of mine will ever ride one. Hope this little girl is OK.
I grew up in the midwest and everyone rode ATVs. My friend from high school was paralyzed by one. It was almost a regular occurrence to hear that someone around town had been injured or was killed.
So sad for her and hoping that she pulls through. :-(
Post by amberlyrose on Feb 6, 2017 10:58:23 GMT -5
I hope she's okay My cousin flipped his ATV the summer of our senior year. I was the first person in his phone and the person who found him helped him to call me. Thankfully, he only broke his clavicle, but he was pinned under it for awhile before someone else out riding found him. One of the scariest calls I've ever had to answer.
So many people named Jamie in that article. Jamie Lynn, her H, their friend, and her dad. It's confusing.
I hope she is ok I don't think I'd ever want to ride an ATV or have a family member do that. You hear of so many things like this happening. Are there many safety regulations on them? It seems like an area that could be addressed to prevent stuff like this from happening.
I saw that on Yahoo earlier. How frightening for everyone - I hope she'll be all right.
I'm a city kid so ATVs aren't familiar to me at all. We went to visit some in-laws in rural NY State at their cabin a few years ago. As soon as we pulled up to the cabin there was a huge commotion because one of their other guests had just flipped his ATV and injured himself and had to be rushed to the hospital by the people were actually there to visit ... so we were stuck in the house with a bunch of elderly Italian ladies (we had never met them before) who were sobbing hysterically the entire time. Then a phone call came that he had to be rushed to a larger hospital and there was more wailing. Awkward. (He wound up being OK.)
I hope she is ok I don't think I'd ever want to ride an ATV or have a family member do that. You hear of so many things like this happening. Are there many safety regulations on them? It seems like an area that could be addressed to prevent stuff like this from happening.
I'm not really sure what you could do--they're just inherently dangerous machines. Even if there were good laws, due to where they're usually ridden (remote often private property) they'd be next to impossible to enforce.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. Mark Twain
One of my sister's classmates was severely injured in an ATV roll over their senior year high school. He was still in a coma at graduation, and I'm honestly not sure if he ever came out of it and recovered. His parents' faces when they accepted his diploma for him were just absolutely heartbreaking.
Post by cattledogkisses on Feb 6, 2017 11:32:35 GMT -5
Re: regulations, I think it would be perfectly reasonable to set an age limit for riding ATVS/four wheelers. That's not to say that they're safe for adults, because they're not, but at least an adult (presumably) knows the risks associated with riding and is choosing to make that decision for themselves.
So many people named Jamie in that article. Jamie Lynn, her H, their friend, and her dad. It's confusing.
I hope she is ok I don't think I'd ever want to ride an ATV or have a family member do that. You hear of so many things like this happening. Are there many safety regulations on them? It seems like an area that could be addressed to prevent stuff like this from happening.
There are a lot of safey regulations of them. But...they are dangerous by nature. The most common type of ATV is top heavy and people use them to navigate trails without regard to the ability of the machine, combine that with speed and failure to wear safety equipment and it's a recipe for disaster.
Some of the newer models have a pretty low center of gravity and it allows for a roll cage and a five point harness. That's the only kind we use and we also wear helmets, but it still takes a good amount of common sense. There's no way I'd let a child drive one. I see people do it at all the time though- harness off, no helmets, too much speed, etc.
and DH thinks im nuts for not letting the kids ride these
Totally not nuts. I rode a bit when I was younger but I know of 2 children that died in ATV accidents and one adult that had their feet amputated. They are dangerous and folks ride them recklessly.
Post by earlgreyhot on Feb 6, 2017 11:46:00 GMT -5
Shit.
My brother's have these and we took the kids for rides on them over the holidays. I'm always pretty nervous about these things, but I do trust my DH to ride super slow and cautious. But this makes me second-guess.
However, my SIL took her 18-month old on it and was riding around crazy fast...I was shocked.
These relatives, of course, are all pro-immigration bans so don't even get me started on misplaced risk assessments.
DH and his friends went ATVing a couple of weeks ago in the AZ desert. One of his friends flipped his and was knocked unconscious. Luckily he was wearing a helmet and was able to walk away from it after a few minutes. I've been quite a few times and it is fun, but I don't know if I'd be comfortable with kids under 12 or so riding them.