Letter to the Editor
Young riders
Published Tuesday, May 13, 2008
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To the editor:
The other day I was driving down the road and had a situation that I think needs to be brought up.
There was a kid riding down the road, on the wrong side of the street into oncoming traffic, constantly looking over his shoulder to see if his big brother was behind him.
Every time he looked over his shoulder he’d pull over to the other side of the road. He looked like he weighed maybe 60 pounds and was riding a machine that was the size of Honda Foreman. At least he had a helmet on!
For heaven’s sake, people, buy a machine that fits your rider and teach the rider to drive it properly; off the road or at least driving on the correct side of the road.
Lots of people (myself included) have driven their machines down the side of a paved street. Usually I wouldn’t be bothered by it. I think it’s great that kids get on four-wheelers and have a good time. I imagine that this kid’s parents taught him correctly; maybe he just needs a little more riding time with his mom and dad. He looked a little young (and small) to be riding on the trails with only big brother to look after him.
Those who have been riding during breakup know what I mean. Please keep your kids safe while riding four-wheelers. They can be all kinds of fun; but that fun comes built in with a little risk, too. Please be responsible for your young riders.
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Sorry all! Previous comments might have been too offensive, but not as offensive as the previous ones left before mine that were dismissed!
Any parent that allows an under 16 kid unsupervised riding, especially on the street, should be fined and their ORVs should be seized.
Try reading the WARNING decals pasted all over the ORV body that tell you not to let kids under 16 drive.
Four-wheelers are off road vehicles. They are not street legal. They do not belong on the road, sidewalks, or bike paths. I wonder if the parents of these children are the same parents of the kid pictured front page jumping his bike off of expensive property.
It would be great if people had to take a test and get a license before they are allowed to breed. Things like this wouldn't happen anymore.
What really sucks is that if one of those kids wrecks their ATV while driving over your driveway they can sue you! Even if they are only 13 and driving there ATV at 1:20 in the morning.
May sound ridiculous, but I am living this situation right now.
I did not ask for this boy to race across my driveway in the dead of night, but somehow he did and he thinks it is my fault!!!
Oh....ecray.... come of Rawlins, WY. ATVs here are considered street legal if you have the proper license. My husband (and I) were absolutely appalled because there's verbage in our Kawasaki manual that relates that using it on the street voids the warranty. Oh, and passengers? Sure! Put your kid on them and drive through downtown! Where AM I?????? :-)
I see it every time I'm in North Pole. I see kids no older than 12 riding ORVs with one or even two passengers behind them too! Usually wearing helmets, but not always. I hope the parents allowing these kids out on their own realize that just because it's a smaller machine, doesn't take any more of the danger out of it than driving a car. In fact, it is potentially more dangerous due to lack of restraints and that it can roll over on them if it's oversized in the situation above. However, starting young does help to instill good riding habits, so long as they are supervised.
Great timing! Today was the 2nd day this week we had a young kid speed down Lakloey hill, and PASS me on Holmes to get to the Tesoro station/McPeaks area. Mind you, I know the speed limit is 40, and I was doing 45 (yes, for shame) but this kid on the 4-wheeler PASSED me (on the left) at a very HIGH speed and he was wearing a baseball hat! Anybody else who makes that 7am drive will see lack of common sense these kids have. Parents, please teach your kids some safety/road etiquette. I know I teach mine because it's the right thing to do!
there are young riders near the Creamers Field - Danby road and slough area. ALL hours of the night. Be careful.
do they have parents? maybe they are vampires....
They all have parents. However, the prevailing theory is that a power toy (ATV, snowmachine, dirtbike, etc.) and a helmet (if the kid is so lucky) are something akin to a single investment baby sitter. It’s really more like handing them a loaded gun and stuffing them out the door.
We all see these kids (and the occasional adult) plowing around our streets and bike paths year round. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of the time no one says anything and the matter isn't policed because they are loud enough that you can usually get out of the way before they run you over. The part that I think is really sad is that every time one of them gets in an accident or even worse, gets killed; everyone acts like it was an unavoidable tragedy.
There is a nature trail adjacent to my neighborhood that is clearly posted as a "No motorized vehicle" area. When the barricades to the area were fixed by the city (to keep out vehicles) the kids started driving through my yard to get into the woods. I love having my lawn tore up by ATVs and dirtbikes. Granted the snowmachines in the winter don't do any damage, but I do find the noise somewhat annoying.
I think most of us agree that these types of power toys are meant to be used outside of town. The main problem is that the parents that give their kids these toys don't give them the transportation (for kid and toy) to get to the places they should be using them. It's usually just a matter of time before things go awry. What's really needed here is more parental responsibility. If you gave your kid a firearm, you'd sure as heck teach them where and where not they could shoot and supervise them while they were using it. Power toys really aren't all that different.
I'd be thankful for some kind of law that prevents homeowners from being sued when one of these kids wrecks in my "yard". How anyone can consider the driveway area between the bikepath & Badger Road my responsibility is beyond me.
I'd like to barricade it, but the state won't let me.
Im shocked to see that you guys only look at the bad side of this. You see a person being unsafe. I understand sometimes it is unsafe. But if you look at the bright side, was the kid; smoking dope, drinking, doing other drugs.
You're right Fairbanks, the kid WASN'T doing drugs, drinking, etc. However the kid WAS being irresponsible and wreckless. If that was my kid, I'd whoop his butt (yes I'm 24 and believe that spanking is an acceptable form of punishment). Then again, I have common sense and would know better than to allow my kid to rid unsupervised in the middle of the road. I also have a pick up truck and know people that do to take said toy where its ok.
Fairbanks, I would much prefer your kid to get lost in the woods and smoke some cigarettes and get drunk than drive over my property. One affects me, one does not. Can you discern which is which?
how about gas price so I use atv all time. It is 2 or 2 half gallon in tank of atv. good for around fairbanks. atv law is stupid ! law not thinking about gas prices. why not atv need to add stop light and signal light like 2 wheel bike does. because i don't like 2 wheel bike. it's easy lose of control if stones are on road when make left or right turn.
Here is a column I posted in last week's "Ask A Trooper." Hopefully this will shed some light on things.
http://newsminer.com/news/2008/may/06/as...
Sgt_Goeden, Please clarify the AS.28.15.281(b). Is this for an ATV on the road only or any where.
danzop, the statute you cite refers to on the road only, as you are not required to have a license to operate an ATV off of the roadway.
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