Saw Trauma: Life in the ER with a kid who ran straight through a barbed wire fence he didn't see. Lucky to be alive. I have a healthy enough respect to stay off of them. I also don't ride motorcycles. My brother teaches safety courses and he's been hit multiple times, gotten up and walked away from things that should've killed him. He rides less these days, and I am grateful.

No vehicle is 100% safe, but I really don't like either ATVs or motorcycles. Scary things. I get a close enough feel in my Miata. I call it a motorcycle surrounded with metal. Wind in my hair and low to the ground is close enough.

That’s scary Jeb, glad you reacted quickly and no one was hurt.

Its the operator to blame, not the vehicles. But you know this.

I don't like them. They're noisy, useless vehicles that destroy property. A side-by-side type is fine for use on a farm, but the ones kids ride for "fun" are an accident waiting to happen.

I would catagorize them as Darwinian.

That was a close call -- glad it did not end in tragedy.

The motorcycle helmet law was repealed here in MI. It's common now to see riders flying down the expressway at 70+ MPH with no helmet on -- I'm scared for them. They have zero chance of surviving when their brains are splattered all over the interstate. Why are people so stupid?

I'm in Colorado. Here, my neighbors use them for plowing snow off their driveways. I think that works pretty well....otherwise....I'd never ride one off road.

Your amazing to have avoided an accident. I applaude you! Well done!

I live in a rural area where ATVs and side-by-sides are extremely common. I live in town but at least three of my neighbors (ages 70+) have side-by-sides that they often drive in town, going on errands or just cruising the streets. I don’t see the attraction.

Youth are often injured on revved-up ATVs charging around the countryside and there are usually 3-4 deaths in our region every summer. My son has lost two classmates (so far) in ATV accidents; one was 12 years old. A terrible tragedy happened last year in the next county over from us when a young physician died in an ATV accident. His wife and baby were in the ATV too but they survived.

Yes, I understand they're particularly lethal to children.

FL has no helmet law either - for quite some time. I can't even imagine the lack of forethought behind riding without one - stupid indeed! I have to wonder - who lobbied state legislature for that?

Those electric golf carts that have become so popular seem like a big danger as well. I've seen minor kids driving them on surface roads unsupervised, and a coworker's home was completely destroyed by a fire from theirs.

When I was young, my father put the fear of chainsaws and motorcycles into me - I own a couple of chainsaws but will only use one when I have somebody with me. I was once given a ride in a side car of a motorcycle in a parking lot but refuse to get on the seat of one for a ride ever.

Something I didn't mention was that for several years I worked with high functioning special needs adults. Most everyone enrolled in the program was born with their condition except one guy who was completely normal until he was 16 - he drank too much and got on his snowmobile one night. While crossing the street on his snowmobile he was hit by a car, wasn't wearing a helmet and ended up with traumatic brain damage. We became good friends, we are about the same age and grew up in the same area so we shared a lot of common ground. He is an intelligent person and is fully aware that he caused the situation he was in. He used a wheelchair most of the time, he could (barely) walk with assistance, and his speech was almost unintelligible. I learned how to understand him by paying close attention to what he was saying, and he confided to me that he truly honestly wished that he was dead. When I would say to him that he didn't really mean that, he was very adamant and told me that he felt he would be in a better place if he were. I really felt for him and wished that his life would have been different. It very easily could have been different but he made a really bad choice and had to pay for it the rest of his life.

ATV madness is not limited to the country. Every year we get hordes of them along with other vehicles tearing through our suburban streets in packs. Literally hundreds blowing through street lights and stop signs at breakneck speeds. Popping wheelies and standing on the seats. Its a huge problem in the city, too and the new mayor has pledged to stop it.

Im sure they have some useful purpose but the owners dont stick to it.

Sorry your property is damaged and thankful you did not hit that dumb kid.

I hate them. They are an environmental nightmare that terrorizes and kills wildlife. No respect for anything and rip whatever is in their path. I have zero pity when they crash.

I don't like them either, too many deadly accidents. Then there are idiots who think it's okay to tear up someone's property. I remember living in Nevada and Arizona and hearing about idiots tearing up the desert, destroying plants and animal habitats because they thought the desert was just a wasteland anyway. Stupid people.

My neighborhood has a family who drives around in a golf cart. I've seen older kids driving it too. Then last year some young boy started racing up and down the street on a motorized skateboard thing. Going way too fast. No helmut. Waiting for someone to pull out of their driveway and not see him.

" Why are people so stupid? "

This says it all for this topic and so many others.

ATVs and UTVs have multi use functions on farms and ranches. Unfortunately useful equipment has crossed the line into Yahoos using them as recreational equipment.

ATVs, loud/dangerous nuisances. motorcycles, donor vehicles.

The farmers/growers with ATV's around here are pretty chill. About the same level of excitement as driving the lawn tractor, but they can go places the lawn tractor is iffy. Sometimes the ATV is just quicker. Some folks supe up their lawn tractors to be quicker, heh.

The tourists and kids with ATV's around here are very not chill. The younger ones tear up their yards, often the roads too. Especially since we got our stretch repaved a couple years ago. The older ones get too drunk to drive and "legal enough" in the golf carts. The morning golf cart drivers aren't drunk, just take up the lane :)

We watch our property for tracks. If a track shows up, we promptly put in a no trespassing sign in the middle of the track. It don't happen as much as it used to, most of us neighbors are in touch with each others space. But we got one that air rents, and sometimes the renters don't know. The most trespassing signs are along that property line, lol.

Plain and simple, many people are drawn to motorsports and speed. Whether it’s cars, motorcycles, ATVs, motorboats, jetskis, you name it. And I can’t say I don’t “get” it.

In some cases I wonder if it would help to have more dedicated spaces to provide an outlet. Tons of quads here but not many places to ride them legally so they’re going to be ridden illegally. Thankfully we don’t have too much of an issue with road takeovers here, The occasional small groups of stunters I come across, I enjoy watching. Maybe I’m jealous. But tearing up public and private property is inexcusable, and Jeb I’m sorry to hear that’s happening on your farm.

ATVs are an abomination. A10 year old was riding one, rolled it and ended up in the hospital with critical injuries. His parents had the nerve to start a Go Fund Me page to help pay for the medical expenses. I figured that if they could afford an ATV they could pay their own medical bills, and if they let a 10 year old loose on an ATV, he wasn't likely to make it to adulthood anyway.

The guy on the next farm was chasing a cow that got loose, and went zipping through our cowless front yard. We told him if he ever was on our property again it could be fatal. Husband told him I have a long rifle and a short temper!

A friend had a place in VT and snow mobiled every winter. I never understood the attraction, especially since, over the years, he's had 3 different accidents yielding broken bones. Fortunately, he's since sold the place and the snow mobiles.

Around here, they are a total menace. We have state forests that they drive through tearing up the terrain and undergrowth, leading to lots of erosion and destruction of otherwise pristine areas. People report them, they put up barriers to prevent access, but they just go around them and do it anyway.

Only occasionally do I see an off road vehicle on our road...usually you hear them first...so annoying. But no point calling the cops because, by the time they got here, the offender would be long gone.

I think that owners should get together, pool their money and create off roading sites to keep it safer for their children and better for everyone.

Jeb, so glad it was only a near miss. It could've been so much worse!

I own an ATV. My husband uses it for snow removal and chores around our house. It rarely leaves the property.

Near to where we live is the Iron Horse Trail. It is an old rail line that the track has been torn out and it has been designated for use by ATV’s, horse back riding, snowmobiling, and cycling. It runs for 300 km. through small towns, heavy bush and over a beautiful trestle. The scenery is stunning. You can go for hours without seeing another person.

ATVs don’t belong on roads.

https://ironhorsetrail.ca

Sadly, I think there will always be scofflaws who don't want to follow rules. Fines and other legal consequences may be the only way to reach them, but that generally happens after damage has been done 😔

Is this another instance where a useful invention is misused because its potential for causing injury/damage is not covered by law? It didn't take long for automobiles to be seen to require registration and insurance.

Evidently ATVs are like firearms, overdue for the same regulation, holding owners/users responsible under the law.

..

... if the driver's still alive ... and lucid enough to get the message.

o j