ATV Misinformation: Where's the Outrage?

Filed in archive Rants on August 7, 2007

ParentWonder is helping spread more false information about ATVs and kids vs ATVs and bicycles. They're saying that a group of pissed off mothers had a study done tracking accidents by kids. So I have no doubt it will be, um... accurate and un-biased.

Children under the age of 16 are seven times more likely to ride bicycles than all-terrain vehicles, yet ATVs cause more deaths among youngsters than their peddling counterparts, according to a study released Tuesday.

According to the CSPC, last year in South Carolina alone, 3 kids died on ATVs. Several hundred were injured. Mot were a)not wearing helmets, b) on way too big of a machine and c)on paved roads. All no-nos.

What happens when kids take off their helmets and ride on the freeway? They get hurt/killed, that's what. Kids on ATVs with the right gear, the right sized ATV in the right terrain have way WAY fewer accidents that kids riding bicycles. Even per-capita.

784 bicyclists died on US roads in 2005. If you average it out, that's over 15 deaths per state per year, only on bicycles.

Why are bicycles not outlawed? Too many kids are getting killed on bikes.

Where's the outrage?

And what about pedestrians? over 120 died in So Carolina in 2006 alone!

OVER 120 PEOPLE DIED WALKING IN ONE STATE IN ONE YEAR!!

Where's the outrage?

That's 40 times more than died on ATVs.

BTW, regardless of what misinformation that article claims about the CPSC being in kahoots with the ATV industry, I can show you countless reports from them that are clearly against ATVs.

Where's the outrage?

And just so I don't make a bunch of parents more mad at me than already are... let me clearly state that I strongly support safe, responsible riding by kids AND adults, and demand respect for nature when I ride with my family.