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Posted by: jus650
I know you're not supposed to ride on the road.
I know you're not supposed to ride double.
I know you're not supposed to ride a quad too big for you.
I know you're supposed to wear a helmet.
BUT I DON'T CARE!!
I do think it was sad what happened to that kid tho.
Posted by: jus650
Dragginbutt- Look i wasn't tryin to start anything w/ you. That was not my intention. i had a lot to say last post but i decided not 2 b/c i didn't feel like typing alot. First off everyone on here has their own opinion so i have a right to mine. I've been riding since i was 9. i started on a suzuki 160 and rode a 250r sometimes when i was 10. i got my wolverine when i was 13. So thats 3 times i rode a quad too big for me.
As far as the helmet. I do wear a helmet when i ride a sport bike, or when i want to ride around a track. But i don't wear a helmet just riding slow on a utility quad. the only time i have ever had any wrecks i have had helmets on b/c thats the only time i push that hard.
I think that riding an atv on the road is no more dangerous than riding a street bike if u know how to take corners. Yeah it is dangerous tho. It is illegal but that is my choice, but i try to avoid the roads ever since i turned 17 b/c that is an adult here.
Riding double is a lot trickier, but if u know what ur doin it is not that dangerous. For me it is safer for me to ride w/ my g/f on the back w/ me than to let her ride her own. It may be more dangerous than just me by my self but i feel better knowin that she is safer than she would be ridin by herself. And those atv's built for 2 are ugly and pointless for me b/c i ride alone most of the time.
I don't think u can blame the kid gettin killed on the fact that he was on the road.
And Dragginbutt, you talk bout me needed to get out of puberty and wise up, and i admit u are older than me, but that comment about stupid people reproducing was kinda immature.
Posted by: garyc660R
My condolences to the family. You have mirrored my thoughts Dragginnbutt....keep up the good work, it's appreciated.
Gary
Posted by: klier
This kid went to school here in Faribault, and was set ready to graduate this coming weekend. Very sad deal, indeed. Anybody have more information?
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Teen Killed In ATV Crash
May 31, 2005 7:05 am US/Central
Pilot Mound, Minn. (AP) A Faribault, Minn. teenager is dead after an all-terrain vehicle crash in southeastern Minnesota.
Fillmore County authorities said Russell Johnson, 18, was riding an ATV near Pilot Mound, Minn. when he apparently lost control of the vehicle on a road.
Johnson was thrown from the ATV as it went through a fence and came to rest in a pasture.
Family and friends were looking for Johnson when they came across the accident.
Johnson was taken to Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester, Minn. where he died Sunday.
Pilot Mound is about 25 miles southeast of Rochester.
Posted by: klier
I see that KSTP ran an "ATV Crackdown" story, possibly triggered by this incident, at the 10 p.m. news tonight.
It showcased a high school student in Maple Grove that was in a coma for a few months regarding an ATV accident while he was working for a landscaping company. His father said "The ATV" swerved to the right into a tree, and caused him dramatic brain damage.
His father stated he is not Anti-ATV. He just stresses the importance of having a proper ATV Safety Training Class.
I was all ready to rant given the "ATV Crackdown" title, but the story didn't seem to have anything to do with an ATV Crackdown. Anyone else think this story was a little weak?
Posted by: Dragginbutt
I really hate reading these... myself and Whodatinthemud have read enough of these. Then I read the causes.. like riding on the road, which by default results in excessive speed.. a suggestion that the kid may have lacked qualified training.. perhaps didn't wear proper safety gear etc.. the list is long... and ultimately, under our control if we paid a little more attention.
The bottom line is that Parents, and children/riders alike need to understand that these machines are quite capable of killing or severely maiming you... By jumping on that saddle and twisting that throttle, you MUST be cognizant of the dangers that are lurking under your butt. Being willing to accept those risks is one thing... knowing how to mitigate them, and taking direct action to put those plans in place is a responsibility that should be hammered home time after time...
To paraphrase a well known ad campaign from my childhood.... "only YOU can prevent injuries"
Not legislation, not blitzkrieg media scare tactics etc... only YOU and ME can fix this.
Posted by: Dragginbutt
You just hit the nail on the head my friend... Judgement, or the act of making wise choices is a learned response. Not something that anyone is born with. It is called life experience..... I cringe every time I read about a parent placing a 4 or year old on one of these, let alone anything faster than a 50cc that is severely limited in speed capability. Then there are those that are always looking for more speed because Junior has outgrown the machine's capability..
The point here is that we focus so much on the PHYSICAL ability to hold on and punch the throttle, and we spend little or no thought on the ability to THINK.
Kids under 16 and many adults way above that arbitrary line are not equipped with the skills or experience to make those wise decisions.. especially when they quickly find they are in an emergency situation that you don't have any time to think your way through... you must be capable of reacting without thinking.. and that is not something young kids are capable of.
It takes hours, months, and sometimes years of practice.. all with Safety being hammered into them until it becomes a natural thing.
I get the same feeling of forboding when I read a newbie thread and they are wanting to jump right to the ultimate in sport or utility model, without any experience other than their buddies telling them they need a Raptor, or some other crotch rocket on 4 wheels. It really makes me cringe.. and then there are those that are willing to put their 6 year old on a full size machine, or at least one that is too big for them because they feel their kid can grow into it...
When spending serious cash, I can relate to wanting to get the best that your money can buy.. but sometimes that is inviting disaster.. and we need to be fully aware of that. Not only for ourselves, but for our kids that depend on us to make the wise decisions. They may not be satisfied with a smaller machine purchase... but at least they are going to be alive to file their complaint.
The bottom line is that even though we all may think the CPSI guidelines are bogus.. there has been a lot of thought put into them.... and statistically speaking... they are spot on for the MAJORITY of NOVICE riders. What they are lacking is a mechanism to move up as skills and experience improve.. but that is a whole another story...
Posted by: Dragginbutt
ATV's are the fruit of the month that have stayed around as far as the media is concerned. The popularity of ATV bashing has become ni vogue for many outsiders as well. The Environmentalists want to keep the wilderness all to themselves.... The emergency room and orthopedic doctors want to get rid of them because of the injuries.. although statistically speaking, a person or child is more likely to get injured on a bike... and then the land owners are hopping mad over the damage being done in their fields by those who would tresspass to get their fix... knowing that it is darn near impossible for law enforcement to chase them down...
We are imploding... not a trend a lot of us want to see happen for a second time. (Remember the 3 wheeler debacle?)
Active involvement and personal responsibility are paramount. Proper training, and parental responsibility are key to our success.
Posted by: Dragginbutt
Sign of the times I guess.. . As parents, we all succomb to the my kid is superior and can do <insert favorite> syndrome. We all want our kids to grow up sooner, excell in everything, and be our shining example of our parenting... What a crock!!!
Let the kids grow up on their own schedule. Give them instruction in telling the difference between right and wrong... show them there are consequences for all their actions, and teach them to respect others.. even when the other person doesn't respect them back. Help them learn to make good choices...
I may never have a superstar athelete, nor may my children ever become a CEO in some major corporation.. but they open doors for others, smile and say hello to everyone they meet on the street, know right from wrong, and are respectful to everyone. In short, they are givers, not takers.
No parent can ask for anything more than that.
Success isn't measured in speed, trophies, or the amount of hang time they can get.. Success is knowing how to love.. and be loved....
Posted by: Dragginbutt
One more example for not letting Stupid people reproduce... I hope you make it past puberty.. maybe then, you will someday wise up...
You do not impress us with your attitude.... we have all been there, done that.... What do you have to show me today that is original...
Posted by: Dragginbutt
No young man, I am not buying your BS on this one... Under no circumstances can you defend your remarks... they were made specifically to upset someone and draw them into a P-ing contest. You are not only putting yourself, your girlfriend, and others that use the roads etc at risk, you are giving every RESPONSIBLE ATV enthusiast a black eye with your antics.
NO, it isn't YOUR choice. The majority of enthusiasts would agree with me that we can exist as a sport without you, and would just as soon like to see you pick a different sandbox to play in. Your antics are ILLEGAL and we all hope you are caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law.
I don't like the fact that you find it fun and exiting to put law enforcement in a dangerous position having to chase law breakers like yourself down when they have more than enough other crimes to solve. Maybe that kid that gets snatched from a bedroom could be found before they get buried alive... but no, the police were having to put resources on trying to chase down some punk on an ATV who made his OWN choice.
You talk about childish responses... well kiddo.. it seems by your attitude that speaking in kiddie English is about all you can relate to.
Why is it that people your age can always find time to write a nasty or stupid response like the one above, but when enthusiasts who are asking for support in fighting against the forces that are trying to shut our sport down, ask you to send a note to your representatives, local authorities etc... You can't ever find the time? The difference between being an adult and a PUNK is quite obvious here.... GO AWAY.. we don't have time for your childish antics...
This thread was started to discuss the sad issue of someone like yourself making an unwise decision and it costing him his life. This scenario is played out every day. Some like myself are very outspoken when it comes to acting responsibly, making good decisions, and getting proper training. IF you had had this training when you were first starting out and had safety drilled into you from day 1, I would think your response would be a lot different than it is now... Unfortunately, your words have made you a poster boy of bad examples... Now how does it feel to be ridiculed in public.. and for everyone to see you for what you really are... a punk who's parents should have taken a little more interest in teaching you respect for the law, and learning the difference between right and wrong. You want to talk spank... I think quite a few on this list would relish the opportunity to ridicule you some more.. but we all have JOBS to attend to.
Why we adults even give a rat's butt about preserving the sport just for punks and hooligans like yourself is beyond me... It certainly isn't being appreciated that is for sure.
*NOTE* I APPOLOGISE TO ALL YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ACT RESPONSIBLY THAT DO NOT FIT THE ABOVE DESCRIPTION, THIS IS NOT AIMED AT YOU, NOR AM I PUTTING ALL YOUNG ADULTS INTO ONE CATEGORY.
DB
Posted by: ss97
It's true, most of these are rider error in one way or the other.
It's sad, really sad that anyone has to die in an ATV accident. Of course a percentage of them are just accidents where the rider did everything right, it happens.
However, it seems that 7-of-10 times a lot of these deaths were because of poor rider judgement in some manner. No helmet, double riding, riding on paved roads etc.....
In Syracuse last month a story hit the news after a 14 year old was killed on an ATV. The story was about the dangers of ATVs, of course they showed 25 year old 3-wheelers in the TV clip. As the story went on with teary-eyed family member saying how much they will miss him, they go on to say that he AND his older cousin were riding when THEIR ATV went over an embankment and into a ditch. They were double riding with no helmets.
It seems like these stories are all too common. Last year I can recall at least two seperate stories where kids were killed when their ATV was hit by a car while crossing roads.
Perhaps these news stories should focus on the dangers of improper use of an ATV rather than the danger of ATVs themselves. In and of themselves ATVs are not dangerous, it's how they are used but people can't seem to differentiate the two.
There is enough of a risk involved in life not to take precautions when you are in operation of any machine be it a car, tractor, train, bus or ATV.
Posted by: ss97
Dragginbutt:
Quote
I cringe every time I read about a parent placing a 4 or year old on one of these, let alone anything faster than a 50cc that is severely limited in speed capability.
It's funny you said that. Just the other night my wife and I were watching "America's Funniest Home Videos" and one of the "funny" videos was some moron father putting his kid on a LT50. The kid could not have been more than 2 years old, 3 at the most, he didn't even have the motor skills to hold on properly. Sure enough the machine took off accross the yard and smashed into a line of garden blocks, sending the kid flying into the air and off the machine.
I did not think it was funny at all, nor did my wife. And we were pissed at AFV for showing this as something funny. Just shows how ignorant people are.
Posted by: XtremeSkier
thats what so sterotypical of ATV's, just because some1 get's hurt doesnt mean its because of the quad, alot of the time its the judgement of the rider like u guys have stated, i ride fast and to some it may seem out of control to them but i'm expierenced enough and have had my accidents to know where i can go fast and where i cant, when i cross a major road i look both way's 2 to 3 times, its just those small things that can make a big difference when u add them all up
Posted by: eiger0304
Funny how when some dies or gets seriously injured, its the fault of of the "Dangerous ATV". When somebody dies or gets injured in a car wreck, the first thing you hear, is whether the the driver was impaired by alcohol or drugs or too tired. Even road conditions and weather are in question. Media puts a great spin on things.
