Daredevils darwinized on ATVs, breeders stunned

The story was on Nightline last night. Video is here (about 10 min).
atv crazy

So these parunts let their kids ride full size 600 lb ATVs, as young as age 4 and the kids are getting injured and killed at an alarming rate. No one appears to be blaming the parents. Some of them called their kids daredevils as they watched them race and crash. Here are some stories from the lovely gallery of the dead chilluns on the web site.

Nearly 10,000 people died in all All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) accidents between 1982-2008, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and almost one-third of the dead were children under the age of 16. A newly released study in a journal published by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health says that hospitalizations for riders under 18 rose 150 percent between 1997 and 2006. Safety advocates want a nationwide age restriction on ATV use, and licensing for all riders. (Ya think?)

Will Ryder McCrary was only three years old when he was thrown from his ATV on June 21, 2009. McCrary suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs and swelling in his head. "After his father had made the decision to put him on the 4-wheeler they then turned to me to make the decision to turn my baby off life support because he was brain dead," said McCrary's mother, Melissa Cooper.

Despite 10 years of ATV experience and even surviving an accident at the age of three, Tyler Lumpkin, 13, died August 6, 2004 when his ATV rolled on top of him. A study conducted by University of Utah neurosurgeons found that rollovers were the most frequent type of ATV accident, followed by collisions with other vehicles and inanimate objects. The study claimed that children may be at additional risk for rollovers on turns because of their relative lack of weight and strength, and because ATVs have a high center of gravity and short wheelbase. (Too much common sense for breeders to comprehend.)

Sean Kearney died from injuries he sustained while riding on an adult-sized ATV on October 27, 2006. "While most people were choosing Halloween costumes, we were planning a funeral for an eight-year-old son," write Sean's parents, Mark and Katie.

OMFG! Hey parents (and I use that term extremely loosely), there's a reason Power Wheels makes an ATV riding toy!

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I walk the path of life to my own rhythm, my own beat-if you don't like it, step off and find your own damn song!

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KABA
OMFG! Hey parents (and I use that term extremely loosely), there's a reason Power Wheels makes an ATV riding toy!

Like they can't be arsed to get the safer version. Shit.

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lab mom

ATV sales event the BUY A QUAD BE A QUAD WEEKEND SALES EVENT!

We get a lot of these at work. Parental be cool = junior be injured or dead.

These testimonials contain all kinds of parental fail.

And what really bothers me about these stories is how the parents in the first place ever thought that riding ATVs were age-appropriate activities for preschoolers and little kids. Nowhere in these stories was anything like "when we were sleeping, Junior took the key for the ATV from the locked cabinet and got the machine out of the garage, gassed it up, went joyriding on steep terrain, and ultimately met his demise." Nope, these kids are riding vehicles designed for adults, with the full knowledge and consent of a parent, often while the parent is watching.

Do parents really believe their kids are invincible? That the mere presence of the child's specialness and uniqueness somehow protects them from anything harmful? That no child can get hurt if you only look away for a second?

These parents denial and lack of any degree of common sense or protective instinct for their kids is beyond comprehension. It's like they are not even human. They blame the ATV dealers and the rental companies. The ones who bring their kids to race on these things just see the accidents as par for the course - they don't care if the kid gets injured, paralyzed or killed, they will just call him or her brave after tragedy strikes.

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blondie
The story was on Nightline last night. Video is here (about 10 min).
atv crazy

So these parunts let their kids ride full size 600 lb ATVs, as young as age 4 and the kids are getting injured and killed at an alarming rate. No one appears to be blaming the parents. Some of them called their kids daredevils as they watched them race and crash. Here are some stories from the lovely gallery of the dead chilluns on the web site.

Nearly 10,000 people died in all All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) accidents between 1982-2008, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and almost one-third of the dead were children under the age of 16. A newly released study in a journal published by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health says that hospitalizations for riders under 18 rose 150 percent between 1997 and 2006. Safety advocates want a nationwide age restriction on ATV use, and licensing for all riders. (Ya think?)

Will Ryder McCrary was only three years old when he was thrown from his ATV on June 21, 2009. McCrary suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs and swelling in his head. "After his father had made the decision to put him on the 4-wheeler they then turned to me to make the decision to turn my baby off life support because he was brain dead," said McCrary's mother, Melissa Cooper.

Despite 10 years of ATV experience and even surviving an accident at the age of three, Tyler Lumpkin, 13, died August 6, 2004 when his ATV rolled on top of him. A study conducted by University of Utah neurosurgeons found that rollovers were the most frequent type of ATV accident, followed by collisions with other vehicles and inanimate objects. The study claimed that children may be at additional risk for rollovers on turns because of their relative lack of weight and strength, and because ATVs have a high center of gravity and short wheelbase. (Too much common sense for breeders to comprehend.)

Sean Kearney died from injuries he sustained while riding on an adult-sized ATV on October 27, 2006. "While most people were choosing Halloween costumes, we were planning a funeral for an eight-year-old son," write Sean's parents, Mark and Katie.

i like how the parents are like "they made me decide..." or "while everybody else was doing this, we had to plan a funeral..."

maybe if you weren't such a fucking moron who thinks those safety restrictions were meant for everybody but you, you would not have these unhappy events. the dangers of off these things are not a well hidden secret-this subject is revisited on major networks on a regular basis and the atv comes with a fucking book of warnings, including to not let kids ride the damn things.

again, like heavy metal, d&d, horror movies and video games, it's the atv's fault timmy is dead. just once, i'd like to hear a parent say, "i read the warnings and just let him ride it anyway. sucks to be me, huh?"

Will Ryder McCrary was only three years old when he was thrown from his ATV on June 21, 2009.

His middle name is Ryder.

In our area, you know spring has sprung by the news of the first serious injury/fatality of a kid on an ATV. Seriously - every year.

These are the same parents who throw their hands up in horror at the thought of teenagers wanting a crotch rocket on their 16th birthday (the insurance - oh noes!), yet see nothing wrong with allowing them to ride an ATV before the first grade. And the parents are never charged for performing a retroactive abortion because ..... :::drumroll::: They've Suffered Enough

ETA: and the sense of entitlement these people have about where their kids should be allowed to ride. We posted NO TRESPASSING signs all over our acreage, I blocked all the trails running across our land, and damned near had to lay out booby traps before finally having to stand guard and confront the shits - which caused me to be subjected to verbal abuse because I had the temerity to not let those f*ckers to tear up our property. People owning the land behind us strung steel cables across their trails with flags tied on them to to let riders know of the danger. Technically, that's illegal, but if those cables aren't reported (I sure as hell kept mum), then they stay.

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Tiquer
These testimonials contain all kinds of parental fail.

And what really bothers me about these stories is how the parents in the first place ever thought that riding ATVs were age-appropriate activities for preschoolers and little kids. Nowhere in these stories was anything like "when we were sleeping, Junior took the key for the ATV from the locked cabinet and got the machine out of the garage, gassed it up, went joyriding on steep terrain, and ultimately met his demise." Nope, these kids are riding vehicles designed for adults, with the full knowledge and consent of a parent, often while the parent is watching.

Do parents really believe their kids are invincible? That the mere presence of the child's specialness and uniqueness somehow protects them from anything harmful? That no child can get hurt if you only look away for a second?

I think you hit the nail on the head here; they think little Ryder and Bubba and Brayden and Britnee are indeed so special that the fates will envelop them in a special force field or something.

I mean, who the F thinks a pre-schooler (or anyone under, say, 15 for that matter, preferably 30) needs to be riding an ATV? Or is capable of properly piloting it? And then to act the victim, as others have pointed out, is the ultimate in denial of responsibility.

It's all so "red neck".

Tough shit if I offend Southern people.

The ONLY people I've ever seen to own ATVs let alone put their kids on one are RED NECK Low Brow HILL BILLIES.

I see the letters ATV and "Dueling Banjoes" starts playing in my head.

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Will Ryder McCrary was only three years old when he was thrown from his ATV on June 21, 2009. McCrary suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs and swelling in his head. "After his father had made the decision to put him on the 4-wheeler they then turned to me to make the decision to turn my baby off life support because he was brain dead," said McCrary's mother, Melissa Cooper.

Was the little woman too afraid to let her man hear her vote of dissent? Or was she OK with it until fate proved that her kid wasn't so special after all? And really, three years old? FUCKING THREE?!?!

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Sean Kearney died from injuries he sustained while riding on an adult-sized ATV on October 27, 2006. "While most people were choosing Halloween costumes, we were planning a funeral for an eight-year-old son," write Sean's parents, Mark and Katie.

Those other parents had the balls to tell their eight-year-olds no when the kids asked for an ATV (and an adult sized one, even). But hey, you wanted to be the cool parents; good job with that. And nice job playing the "pity me card", as well.

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"Not every ejaculation deserves a name" - George Carlin

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Zzelda
It's all so "red neck".

Tough shit if I offend Southern people.

The ONLY people I've ever seen to own ATVs let alone put their kids on one are RED NECK Low Brow HILL BILLIES.

I see the letters ATV and "Dueling Banjoes" starts playing in my head.

That's the absolute truth and I should know because I have lived in the south among rednecks and/or hillbillies my entire life. It's worse in the hills though due to all of the extra terrain, more dangererous slopes and hillsides, and ZERO traffic laws. Up on this hillbilly mountain where I now live, it's VERY common to see elementary school aged kids riding up and down hilly terrain on 4 wheelers, mini-bikes, and converted-golf carts. It's also traditional and completely acceptable for any kid who is old enough to be able to see over a steering wheel to drive tractors and old banged up pick up trucks as well all along the countryside in and around their famblee properties and farms. One other thing that goes on around here is kids riding in the back of open bed pickup trucks as PeePaw drives around his property looking for Old Yeller or maybe checking on his hogs or goats.

There are "accidents" involving children who sustain serious injuries and/or die every year in rural areas due to ATV's and similar UNSAFE FOR KIDS modes of transportation. Oh, one other thing that is possibly even MORE dangerous is when they allow kids to operate riding lawn mowers. EVERY summer Billy Bob or Bubba is losing a foot or getting his fingers sliced off. It's absurd that the state requires a license to drive a motorcycle or car, but don't require a license to operate ATV's or other moving vehicles.

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If YOU are the "exception" to what I am saying, then why does my commentary bother you so much?
I don't hate your kids, I HATE YOU!

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Zzelda
It's all so "red neck".

Tough shit if I offend Southern people.

The ONLY people I've ever seen to own ATVs let alone put their kids on one are RED NECK Low Brow HILL BILLIES.

I see the letters ATV and "Dueling Banjoes" starts playing in my head.

It's all rural areas. Where I grew up, it was kids riding dirt bikes, and now they've moved on to ATVs. Like Kim said, they also go for kids in the back of the pickup truck, and kids driving tractors. While I can actually see the point of having a kid of about 10 or so driving a tractor, I can't understand the ATV craze. Especially for toddlers!--I would think 15 is about the limit for being capable of driving it safely, and at 15 a whole lot of parental supervision is required to ensure that it is safely driven, as opposed to recklessly driven.

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kidlesskim

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Zzelda
It's all so "red neck".

Tough shit if I offend Southern people.

The ONLY people I've ever seen to own ATVs let alone put their kids on one are RED NECK Low Brow HILL BILLIES.

I see the letters ATV and "Dueling Banjoes" starts playing in my head.

That's the absolute truth and I should know because I have lived in the south among rednecks and/or hillbillies my entire life. It's worse in the hills though due to all of the extra terrain, more dangererous slopes and hillsides, and ZERO traffic laws. Up on this hillbilly mountain where I now live, it's VERY common to see elementary school aged kids riding up and down hilly terrain on 4 wheelers, mini-bikes, and converted-golf carts. It's also traditional and completely acceptable for any kid who is old enough to be able to see over a steering wheel to drive tractors and old banged up pick up trucks as well all along the countryside in and around their famblee properties and farms. One other thing that goes on around here is kids riding in the back of open bed pickup trucks as PeePaw drives around his property looking for Old Yeller or maybe checking on his hogs or goats.

There are "accidents" involving children who sustain serious injuries and/or die every year in rural areas due to ATV's and similar UNSAFE FOR KIDS modes of transportation. Oh, one other thing that is possibly even MORE dangerous is when they allow kids to operate riding lawn mowers. EVERY summer Billy Bob or Bubba is losing a foot or getting his fingers sliced off. It's absurd that the state requires a license to drive a motorcycle or car, but don't require a license to operate ATV's or other moving vehicles.

the reason young kids drive vehicles on family farms is because they most likely work the farms with their parents. kids here i think were at one time able to get a farmers license, which allowed them to drive a vehicle at 14 or 15, but i think it had a ton of restrictions on it.

i agree entirely-kids should not be operating these things. they make kid sized atvs (90cc and less) with lower power and weight, but gods forbid moo and duh go out and buy timmy the fucking kiddie suv because-ahem-"timmy is not just any kid-he's grown up beyond his years! he can handle an adult sized atv, unlike most kids!" uh huh. then the parents want to sue the guy who sold the atv to timmy and the atv company because timmy was killed when the fucking 600 pound adult sized bike flipped over and crushed him to death.

Even the kid-sized ATVs weigh about 200 lbs. If the kid is too young to be coordinated and the thing lands on him he's still toast. They are just too young for a large motorized vehicle like that. Might as well give them a Bobcat and a steep hill. At least dirt bikes are light weight. When I was growing up the big thing was three wheeler ATVs. Fambliees would take these things down the trails, the kids would be on the parunts machine sitting between their legs. Those things flipped over very easily and the famblees would dawdle along, block the trails and get stuck in narrow areas. My friend and I had real dirt/trail bikes designed to navigate the trails and these hogs were always in the way of us and the people riding mountain bikes.

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Christhead
Will Ryder McCrary was only three years old when he was thrown from his ATV on June 21, 2009.

His middle name is Ryder.

Is it terrible that when I first skimmed over the kid's name I read it as 'Will Riker'? Sheesh.

I hear the dueling banjos when I think 'ATV' too. Three-year-olds are definitely too young to drive the vehicles, even the kid-sized ones, as blondie pointed out. It seems as though there's this prevailing idea in the South where the parents think by allowing their very young children to tool around with adult vehicles or weapons, they're teaching them about 'the real world' or 'how to survive'. It's as though they believe it's an integral part of Southern 'culture'. Teaching your child life skills when they are an appropriate age is fine, but these people are nuts. We just had a guy close to my area who thought it would be a brilliant idea to teach his five-year-old daughter how to use an adult bow-hunting set so she could 'hunt wild pigs and learn all 'bout nature and livin' off the land, hyuck hyuck'. Of course, she ended up being the one who got the shaft. Literally.

My family did have a three-wheeler and a go-cart when I was growing up, but we weren't allowed to operate or even ride on either until we were older. My much older cousin would always get to drive the three-wheeler and me and my three siblings would either have to walk or ride bikes down the trail, grumbling about how we thought we were more than old enough. Fortunately, our parents actually had the sense to say no.

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"The secret of dealing successfully with a child is not to be its parent." -- Mel Lazarus
"Women who miscalculate are called mothers." -- Abigail Van Buren
"Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one." -- Chinese proverb

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blondie
Even the kid-sized ATVs weigh about 200 lbs. If the kid is too young to be coordinated and the thing lands on him he's still toast. They are just too young for a large motorized vehicle like that. Might as well give them a Bobcat and a steep hill. At least dirt bikes are light weight. When I was growing up the big thing was three wheeler ATVs. Fambliees would take these things down the trails, the kids would be on the parunts machine sitting between their legs. Those things flipped over very easily and the famblees would dawdle along, block the trails and get stuck in narrow areas. My friend and I had real dirt/trail bikes designed to navigate the trails and these hogs were always in the way of us and the people riding mountain bikes.

yeah, but most kids weigh 200 pounds these days. and "kid sized" does not mean "let your three year old ride it without a helmet". even they give an age requirement on those little 50 cc atvs. and at 50cc or 90 cc, the bike ain't all that powerful to do the really idiotic stuff anyway. but the key on the warnings is "adult supervision", meaning the parents should have some house rules and not be off slamming down some beers while timmy's puttering about on it.

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RatsNotBrats

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Christhead
Will Ryder McCrary was only three years old when he was thrown from his ATV on June 21, 2009.

His middle name is Ryder.

Is it terrible that when I first skimmed over the kid's name I read it as 'Will Riker'? Sheesh.

I hear the dueling banjos when I think 'ATV' too. Three-year-olds are definitely too young to drive the vehicles, even the kid-sized ones, as blondie pointed out. It seems as though there's this prevailing idea in the South where the parents think by allowing their very young children to tool around with adult vehicles or weapons, they're teaching them about 'the real world' or 'how to survive'. It's as though they believe it's an integral part of Southern 'culture'. Teaching your child life skills when they are an appropriate age is fine, but these people are nuts. We just had a guy close to my area who thought it would be a brilliant idea to teach his five-year-old daughter how to use an adult bow-hunting set so she could 'hunt wild pigs and learn all 'bout nature and livin' off the land, hyuck hyuck'. Of course, she ended up being the one who got the shaft. Literally.

My family did have a three-wheeler and a go-cart when I was growing up, but we weren't allowed to operate or even ride on either until we were older. My much older cousin would always get to drive the three-wheeler and me and my three siblings would either have to walk or ride bikes down the trail, grumbling about how we thought we were more than old enough. Fortunately, our parents actually had the sense to say no.

neither vehicles nor weapons are bad if you are teaching the kids to treat them with respect. as i have said previously, i had been around guns my whole life, but we were told to not touch them unless an adult was supervising. if we did something wrong, we got yelled at.

NEVER give kids things designed for adults, whether it's an atv or a weapon. kids don't have the muscles yet to handle high powered anything.

About 20 years ago the US banned sales of new 3-wheeled ATVs for the same reason: pahrunts allowing li'l Shitford to ride an unstable trike that even some adults would find to be a handful, and then becoming upset when Shitford rolls the trike. This crap keeps up, and the 4-wheelers will be next.

Some years ago pahrunts bought for their kyds those little 2-wheeled scooters that had a small engine or electric motor on them to power the front wheel, but chose not to check state and local ordinances here. They got surprised and bitched a lot when li'l 9-year-old Snowflayke came home with a ticket from the cops for operating a motor vehicle while underaged (had to be 16 even to ride a moped). But one thing a number of them told the local media then was that the salesman at the dealer that sold the powered scooters told them their young kids could legally ride them on the street. Makes me wonder if ATV salesmen are doing much the same thing to make the sale and get the commission.

One thing I do know about these things is they kill and maim. I have treated far to many people of all ages on them. A good umber of them are related to no helmet, Unsafe operation is also a major factor. Even when operated safely they are a major risk. Any parent who lets a kid get on one of these and is not supervising them - that is has them in eyesight at all times - is asking for a poor outcome.

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k-man
About 20 years ago the US banned sales of new 3-wheeled ATVs for the same reason: pahrunts allowing li'l Shitford to ride an unstable trike that even some adults would find to be a handful, and then becoming upset when Shitford rolls the trike. This crap keeps up, and the 4-wheelers will be next.

Some years ago pahrunts bought for their kyds those little 2-wheeled scooters that had a small engine or electric motor on them to power the front wheel, but chose not to check state and local ordinances here. They got surprised and bitched a lot when li'l 9-year-old Snowflayke came home with a ticket from the cops for operating a motor vehicle while underaged (had to be 16 even to ride a moped). But one thing a number of them told the local media then was that the salesman at the dealer that sold the powered scooters told them their young kids could legally ride them on the street. Makes me wonder if ATV salesmen are doing much the same thing to make the sale and get the commission.

still, it's on the products' sites.

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k-man
Some years ago pahrunts bought for their kyds those little 2-wheeled scooters that had a small engine or electric motor on them to power the front wheel, but chose not to check state and local ordinances here. They got surprised and bitched a lot when li'l 9-year-old Snowflayke came home with a ticket from the cops for operating a motor vehicle while underaged (had to be 16 even to ride a moped). But one thing a number of them told the local media then was that the salesman at the dealer that sold the powered scooters told them their young kids could legally ride them on the street. Makes me wonder if ATV salesmen are doing much the same thing to make the sale and get the commission.

Pocket bikes. You didn't even have to visit a "dealer". The local auto stores (Pep Boys, Advance Auto Parts ...) caught hell because they sold them right out front, next to the display of 10W40. You could even buy them online. Bit of a comeuppance though, for people buying those things. 99% of them came from China and didn't last a week.

I checked the ATV laws in my state:
* No one under age 8 may operate an ATV.
* Children under age 12 may only operate an ATV under 70cc.
* Children under age 16 may only operate an ATV 90cc or less.
* Children under age 16 must be supervised by a person at least age 18.
* Passengers may not be carried unless the ATV was designed to carry passengers.
* All ATV operators must wear helmet and eye protection.
* ATV use on public streets and highways is prohibited except to cross.
* No ATV shall be operated without a lighted headlight and taillight from � hour after sunset to � hour before sunrise.
* Effective October 1, 2006, every ATV operator born on or after January 1, 1990, must have an ATV safety certificate.
* Persons using ATVs for farming, hunting or trapping are exempt from the law�s provisions.

It's that last line that gives riders an out. You can't ride them anywhere else but on farms or out in the woods, ergo you can always say you were out checking on the cows or scoping out a spot to put a tree stand for deer hunting. And cops sure aren't going to be patrolling those areas. So, the regulations are not much more than an "alright, so people complain about ATVs. we'll put something in writing, even though we know it's almost impossible to enforce. at least that will shut people up."

Something that aggravated me a few years back, when gas was hitting $4/gal; even becoming unavailable here in the southeast; was the skyrocketing sales of the small mopeds. The little 49cc models sold out even before the dealers could pull them from their boxes and assemble them. They were touted as getting "100+ miles per gallon! -- and you don't need a license to ride them!" People bought them, took them out on the 4-lane roads (non-interstate), and discovered just how dangerous it is to mingle in traffic when you are riding something that won't go more than 40mph. We saw three people in my area get killed that year, riding those things. As a rider, myself (smart enough to have at least 600cc between the wheels of my bike), I carped at my co-workers "spend another $1000 and just get a Honda Rebel; something at least 250cc; it could make the difference between life and death!" But, nope, they wanted something they could purchase on a credit card and ride right off the lot. No hassles of getting a license, or insurance, either.

Wow, and to think that the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned Jarts. Shoot, Jarts only killed four kids. eyes2

I've also seen people who are aware of safety hazards in various activities, but think it doesn't apply to them, and will even point fingers and criticize others who get hurt doing these same unsafe things. I've never quite understood it.

JD