I agree completely, children shouldn't be driving these things by themselves. They have little to no experience driving. I wouldn't let my daughter drive one till she had her drivers license and only with other adults in the group. My son is dying to drive but he is only fourteen and has to wait. I'm the parent and I make the rules.

I, for one, have never gotten the hang of riding a motorcycle yet can ride an ATV. This is probably most of the problem. ATVs are easier to use so more inexperienced people like me drive them. And I don't mean just children under a certain age. I'm 64 and would probably get worse injuries than someone of a comparable age with experience.

Tell that to my cousin, who is the next Terri Schiavo. Her mistake was getting on the back of a motorcycle when a man pulled out in front of them and cut them off. After 4 months of begging their mother to wake up, now her 2 kids get to watch her suffer for the rest of her life.

This is news? This is not something they just figured out.

I used to ride ATV's for a living and have had some pretty bad spills. Even at slow speed, it bangs you up pretty bad.

BBoomer

I agree. I'm 62 and have ridden an ATV for 40 years. The older I get, the slower I go. I have also worked as an ER doc in the past and seen a lot of accidents. The problems have been listed repeatedly in posts below: 1. Rookies, no matter what age, need instruction. 2. People think that a machine that can stand up on its own is safer - NOT SO! 3. I have seen a lot of children injured by ATVs because they were turned loose on one unsupervised. I have seen kids kill other kids. I remember two little girls brought in DOA when the go-cart they were riding in a low area on one side of a driveway was crushed by another young boy landed on top of them. He was jumping the driveway and did not see them. 4. Experienced bikers can tell you that it is the rookie in the group that makes the mistake that hurts or kills himself AND one or more of the experienced drivers.

The ATV is safer myth is like the SUV is safer myth. People are ignorant of basic physics and safety.

In complete agreement shawn.

Well said Shawn, I've been riding ATV's for 7 years and racing them for 5, and the problem is not the ATV, it's who's driving the ATV.

SHAWN -

I agree, and I would add to "Common Sense is the Key",

"For those who are still learning common sense ( = all children under the age of 18 and all beginners), CLOSE ADULT SUPERVISION IS KEY."

And of course, those without common sense who just want to show off and perform "stunts, and those impaired in any way by alcohol or whatever, do not belong on an ATV at all.

Common sense and experience. Common sense says "you need experience." Experience says "use common sense."

Here's the problem, which the article stated: When in an accident, the person is more likely to die on an ATV than on a motorcycle. No where did the article say that human error was at fault.

But lets stop blaming the government for taking our freedoms, and look at a few points. Who is more likely to be in ANY type of vehicular accident? A minor. It doesn't matter if it's an ATV, a motorcycle, a car, truck, whatever. There's a reason insurance rates are higher for minors and young adults. And why is it the law that helmets are required? Because IF there is an accident, your chances of survival will go up, right? The people who decided on that law were not saying that EVERYONE who rides are a bunch of morons who are definitely going to get in an accident. But they are saying this will reduce the risk of a bad turn out IF. Likewise, putting a law into affect to keep children safe is reducing the risk of a similar IF. And if you read the article, the ban says the children in Mass. are banned from operating the machines. I don't know what the law says on the children riding the ATVs, provided their with someone older than 14, which they should have been riding with anyway, unless they're on a machine built for an 8 year old.

Kids have NO common sense. Neither do parents who allow kids to ride ATVs. The same reason applies to why we don't allow kids to drive automobiles, trucks, trains, or motorcycles until 16 (and then only with restrictions in many states).

You are right. I had an ATV accident 3 years ago. I fractured my pelvis. Luckily me and my guest were wearing helmets, because we hit hard. I wasn't supposed to have a rider with me on my King quad but did so anyway because we had company in town. It was a stupid idea. Also, I wanted to go through the training but never got a chance. Looking back I should have been trained by a professional because when we were losing control, I did the wrong thing and used both sets of brakes. My husband said I might have been able to save it from rolling if I braked properly.

Back in the early 80's I rode and raced Honda ATC's this means three (3) wheels not four. At the time I had the biggest engine made, 350X. In 1987 these machine's were baned from the US because of the "inherently" instability. I went to a state hearing on this issue and listened to parents who's children had been injured or even killed on these machine's. I heard testimony from one mother who stated that her son was killed after he broke into dad's liquor cabinet and took off, at night, with no helmet, into the back woods, on his dad's 2 stroke racing Kawasaki and hit a tree! Even though I felt for her loss and all the others at the hearing, I heard nothing to indicate the machine was at fault. Guns don't kill people! Anyway, I have ridden the new 4 wheel racing machine's and don't really care for them, they are a lot heavier and the extra wheel up front seams to reach out and grab anything in it's way. But government intervention is not the answer, there are laws restricting anyone under 16 to 90cc or smaller and it's not followed with any great consistency.

Exactly! Typical knee-jerk massachusetts.

Thank God 3-wheelers were outlawed? I have ridden one for almost 14 years with no problems or accidents that could not be blamed on the operator. Stupidity of the rider has a lot to do with the accidents that happen to them. Honestly let people have their fun and what happens to them whether young or old is their own fault.

Yes, they are complex when you have no clue. That is why proper training is needed for all to enjoy. And as you say "quick lesson" is not the way to go, especially with a child.

They definitely have more mass, 300-500 lbs. That is why a child should not be on one without proper supervision and safety gear.

Maybe I got lucky, but I grew up on a 3-wheeler and loved it. Got hurt on my bicycle just as much. My dad didn't let me take off on that 3-wheeler as soon as we got it! And I don't let my kids take off on their quads as soon as I bought them. We took our time to learn and not go straight out to a monster hill or creek. We started out slow. I agree that a 5 or 8 or 10 year old doesn't comprehend as well. That is why you teach them and take it slow. BTW, I know many adults who don't comprehend very well. That said, they can legally have a quad and hurt themselves. Regulation won't help them.

Very true. That's why we see 35 year olds causing car crashing while driving drunk and texting at the same time! Some "adults", and pretty much all children/teens, think that accidents aren't going to happen to them even if they are careless, which is why sometimes it's a good idea to keep dangerous things away from kids- not necessarily because it's impossible to do something like that safely with supervision, but that some parents just don't realize (or care) that the kids should be supervised. I agree that with anything risky, kids should be taught carefully and slowly and have appropriate supervision. I think the problem is that some parents just don't realize that it's risky (strangely). Maybe laws like this will at least alert people to the fact that it's a risky activity, and if they still let their kids ride, they do it with more caution because of the new awareness.

But by banning them, no one gets to use them. Therefore, that restricts the responsible person. If it's for the good of mankind, then we should ban a lot of things, ie.. cars and phones due to texting while driving or cars and alcohol/prescription drugs due to driving under the influence. I could go on all day, but I won't. I don't mind better rules or laws for people who don't follow the rules, but don't ban the atv's as kids or adults will find another way to hurt themselves and we who try to do right can't enjoy an atv.

Yes, but when something happens to someone when they're driving drunk and they cause a car crash, because of the laws, there are legal things that can happen to help the drunk driver, the person or people they hit, (if they're still alive), etc.

With no laws regarding the ATVs, all those people who don't use their intelligence before riding will have legal responsibility to do the right thing, sellers of machines may think twice before marketing improper machines towards younger children, adults will be held legally responsible (as they should be), rental places will have more responsibility.

You've got to be kidding me. I've ridden dirtbikes since I was three years old. People are getting so pathetic as time goes on. I can't imagine what will be outlawed in 5, 10, 15, years. Sickening. No wonder why we've got a bunch of overweight kids, all we'll let them do is play video games. Like I said; pathetic.

a) sittting on an ATV isn't going to help overweight kids lose weight... tell them to run around and play instead.

b) I doubt anyone thinks a 3 year old on a dirtbike is a good idea.

I grew up on dirtbikes. I got my first one when I was 12.

Eleanor, dirtbikes and quads are a very physical thing to do. There is no power steering, and with a dirtbike you are leaning to turn. It takes a lot of physical effort.

This law is just another step down the slippery slope of our eroding freedoms. On private land, the government should have no say what I ride or let my kids ride. Common sense and a slow introduction to the machines, with appropriately sized vehicles is the way to go, and the way I will be going when I have kids.

Eleanor, riding an atv or dirtbike can be very much of a workout. Some people ride just for the workout. Some just put along. It's like saying going to the pool for heavy people to just float around on their back is not very physical. True, but if you actually swim it is a great workout. The first time I went snowboarding I felt like I had been beat with a board. You work muscles you never new you had. Same can be said with atv's and bikes.

I stand corrected- I didn't know that ATVs were such a good workout. However, I still think that just because it's on private land doesn't mean it shouldn't be regulated (for example, if your child drives a car on private land, that is still illegal- even if, chances are, no one will see it or call the police about it). Also, just to be the devil's advocate, it's also still illegal to kill people on private property... it being private property usually doesn't have much to do with how laws and regulations work. I still stand by my opinion that while it may be very possible to carefully supervise a child to ride an ATV, just as it is probably very possible to carefully supervise a child driving a car, it doesn't mean there shouldn't be a law against it, because the majority of lay people don't know what it means to "properly supervise" a child in control of a heavy, fast piece of machinery. (And I do know that there are child's ATVs available, that go about 5-10mph, but my question about those is, why not have those kids ride a bicycle, that won't kill them when it flips on top of them? It would go the same speed.)

That's not really true. Children well under the legal driving age have been driving farm trucks and vehicles for decades on the farm and I don't think it is illegal. I think the damage that a 3/4 ton or 1 ton vehicle can do far exceeds that of an ATV. Also, some farms and ranches use ATVs with the young ones operating them as well, albeit for work purposes rather than recreation.

BULLCRAP

I have ridden and raced motorcycles off and on road since i was 7. I also raced quads (TRX250R) both on a local level and GNCC TT and woods circuit. My brother-in-law raced 3-wheelers (ATC250R) on the same circuits. I have always had worse injuries on 2 wheels over 4, it mostly has to do with rider education and experience level. Yes the ATV's generally have more mass, but the are not as quick or as fast as their motorcycle cousins.

Do they identify the rollover speed for a new dodge ram? Yes, kids don't always think the way adults do and that is why a responsible adult should be around when atv's are in use for people who are learning to ride.

Actually, I see alot of young kids on ATVs where we go riding. I have even seen adults with babies riding. The ATV accidents I have seen usually end up withe machine on top of the person. These machines are very heavy. A friend had his flip on top of him after hitting a stump sticking out on a trail. If there hadn't been other riders who pulled the machine off him, he would have suffocated because he couldn't breathe with the weight on him.

Agree with bmx mom -- I see a lot more kids on ATVs than adults. I personally know two families who lost sub-teen children due to ATV accidents -- one of the kids was riding with his dad (on a separate ATV) when he was killed in a flipover. His dad is an orthopedic surgeon.

That can be said about a bicycle, golf cart, car or any other motorized vehicle.

Beatle Baby - what is your point? That ATVs are too dangerous, or that proper training, maturity and experience should be considered before handing over the keys?

But would you agree that regardless, a child/person would need training for these vehicles? Which not everyone is capable of doing. For instance, my sister and her husband have never ridden ATVs. If their daughter decided she wanted to go riding, they obviously would not be good choices to take her for her first time, as they never have, and would not be able to give her any training on usage or safety. So wouldn't it be a good idea for a certified organization to be around to be able to teach people how to ride these safely? Give people some sort of certification that says they have passed some sort of training course and they are knowledgeable in the usage of the machine? Before my sister or her husband put their daughter in danger? And then, god-forbid, the worst were to happen. There was an accident. The machine somehow rolled over on their daughter. But, they took the certification class, so they at least were knowledgeable, so when legal action starts, or child welfare services shows up or something else happens (because lets face it, someone, somewhere in this world might sue if she's not dead, and if she is, someone might sue just because), but they're legally okay because they went through the legal certification course for the machine, and knew what they were doing, and this time it was just one of those freak accidents that hey, still happen.

But without any kind of training course, my sister and her husband decide to take their daughter out. None of them have had any training, but hey, it's got 4 wheels, and (like a good portion of people) it's gotta be easy, right? And opps, the worst happens (like before) and someone shows up (like before) and their daughter is hurt or dead, and they get sued or worse, and now their daughter has been taken from them either by the courts for putting her in harms way, or she's dead, or they're in jail, or someone else has sued for custody...Legally, there is no protection for them at all.

This law isn't for people like you who obviously know what they're doing, this law is for the dummies who don't.

That says it all!!!!!

This is my theory as well, as a long-time ATV rider. When you get on a motorcycle or dirtbike, at the typically slow learning and novice speeds, they FEEL dangerous. Motorcycles are inherently unstable at slow speeds.

However, an ATV is stable at slow speeds. It FEELS safe, so I think people are much more likely to push their speeds beyond their skill levels. They feel safe because they can turn and control their quad at higher speeds, but they don't have the experience to recognize dangerous situations, or the skills to react to an emergency. Because ATVs are so much more stable at slow speeds, people typically don't take the time to develop the skills necessary to ride them at higher speeds.