W5 atv's unsafe

[scoobienorth]

well after seeing this "news" story i have decided i will not stand for this slanderous attacks on a sport that i love and here is the response i sent to ctv. i encourage all to do the same, i believe a level headed well worded barrage of emails from all of us here can make a difference. well i am trying anyway.here is the link.

CTV News | Rider Beware: Few regulations leave ATV riders at risk

first off i do feel bad that people get killed doing this. i love the outdoors and atv's. i have lots of experience in them and they can be safe if operated properly, first off the girl that was killed and the other was hurt, i doubt highly that they were on an atv designed for 2 people, most 1 passenger atv's have warnings for such unsafe behaviour. the grizzly that the guy rolled and was trapped under also had oversized tires on it which also leads to rolls, he also was doubling his grand daughter on a single passenger atv.(not a good example to publish)Atv's are a very safe activity but no matter what people make mistakes, get complacent, operate them while intoxicated and so on. guess what people do all those in cars as well. It even happens in the workplace too. and both those are heavily regulated.When kids are involved the parents to some extent have to shoulder some responsibility as they bought the atv, and allowed them to ride it. Proper saftey gear, such as proper helmets, goggles, and footwear also make a big difference in injuries.If you read and operate according to your atv's owners manual it gives you most of the knowledge you need to operate safely. Experience is also key, and proper instruction is often lacking in serious accidents. Back to the guy rolling the quad and being trapped for days, if his loaded quad was over half a ton with the gear on it, it was also over loaded, thus being heavier than the maximum weight recommended by the manufacturer, as well as being taller due to the oversized tires.. riding by yourself is very dangerous, that is one of the cardinal rules of being off road, Go out together and look out for each other , the camaraderie, among friends and the closeness and enjoyment it brings to families especially those in rural areas is a very good thing. It can teach children responsibility and educate them about the environment.The fact that people who have no idea what an atv is or how to use it are trying to make them "safe" is complete travesty. I really wish you guys would have went to an atv club and got some real information to publish instead of this misinformation.It really is sad to see the canadian "news" stooping to the depth of american "news" just get some ratings instead of just putting facts out to educate people.Is the atv industry perfect? no as is no other as well, is there gains to be made? yes?No matter what happens you really cannot protect people from themselves.

Andrew Sikorsky

 

[mudbug]

Well said!!!!!

 

[grizzley1]

yes very well said

 

[ESOX]

A good argument that could apply to just about anything, motor-sport or otherwise. Bottom line...there are risks associated with everything and sometimes bad stuff happens but it doesn't mean that it needs to be out-lawed.

 

[Cowboy151]

I agree with your view completely. Life is such that you cannot control all the variables that may affect you. With the attack on ATV's, how many people are killed crossing the street every year in this country? Are they going to outlaw walking? Outlaw vehicles? Or perhaps outlaw cross walks? No of course not because the vast majority of people have to do this everyday! The attack on ATV's is only because a small MINORITY use these thus the lack of understanding involved. I think the number was about one million in a country of thirty million. Let see, 3.33 percent of the population! I do credit the program for including the statement from the Minister of Transportation when he used those very seldom used words of " people need to use common sense." You cannot patrol everything everywhere at least not in a free country. It is unfortunate that people are killed while partaking in the sport but lets keep in mind, everyone must take responsibilty for themselves period.Remember, the number one cause of death is life, you cannot have one without the other.

 

[mb1]

well after seeing this "news" story i have decided i will not stand for this slanderous attacks on a sport that i love and here is the response i sent to ctv. i encourage all to do the same, i believe a level headed well worded barrage of emails from all of us here can make a difference. well i am trying anyway.here is the link.

CTV News | Rider Beware: Few regulations leave ATV riders at risk

first off i do feel bad that people get killed doing this. i love the outdoors and atv's. i have lots of experience in them and they can be safe if operated properly, first off the girl that was killed and the other was hurt, i doubt highly that they were on an atv designed for 2 people, most 1 passenger atv's have warnings for such unsafe behaviour. the grizzly that the guy rolled and was trapped under also had oversized tires on it which also leads to rolls, he also was doubling his grand daughter on a single passenger atv.(not a good example to publish)Atv's are a very safe activity but no matter what people make mistakes, get complacent, operate them while intoxicated and so on. guess what people do all those in cars as well. It even happens in the workplace too. and both those are heavily regulated.When kids are involved the parents to some extent have to shoulder some responsibility as they bought the atv, and allowed them to ride it. Proper saftey gear, such as proper helmets, goggles, and footwear also make a big difference in injuries.If you read and operate according to your atv's owners manual it gives you most of the knowledge you need to operate safely. Experience is also key, and proper instruction is often lacking in serious accidents. Back to the guy rolling the quad and being trapped for days, if his loaded quad was over half a ton with the gear on it, it was also over loaded, thus being heavier than the maximum weight recommended by the manufacturer, as well as being taller due to the oversized tires.. riding by yourself is very dangerous, that is one of the cardinal rules of being off road, Go out together and look out for each other , the camaraderie, among friends and the closeness and enjoyment it brings to families especially those in rural areas is a very good thing. It can teach children responsibility and educate them about the environment.The fact that people who have no idea what an atv is or how to use it are trying to make them "safe" is complete travesty. I really wish you guys would have went to an atv club and got some real information to publish instead of this misinformation.It really is sad to see the canadian "news" stooping to the depth of american "news" just get some ratings instead of just putting facts out to educate people.Is the atv industry perfect? no as is no other as well, is there gains to be made? yes?No matter what happens you really cannot protect people from themselves.

Andrew Sikorsky

I agree 100% with your point of view.

No offence, but in the future if you used proper punctuation and a few paragraphs your letter would appear professional and easier to read .

I agree though, it would be like saying how dangerous bicycles are when you double your buddy over rough terrain when you're inexperienced. Bad results are sure to follow.

 

[scoobienorth]

I agree 100% with your point of view.

No offence, but in the future if you used proper punctuation and a few paragraphs your letter would appear professional and easier to read .

I agree though, it would be like saying how dangerous bicycles are when you double your buddy over rough terrain when you're inexperienced. Bad results are sure to follow.

yeah i was pretty fired up when i wrote that, i should have sat on it for a couple hours and proof read it, but thanks for the advice.

 

[Bruteskeg]

Atvs are only as dangerous as the rider makes it IMOP

 

[fargineyesore]

I wonder about the stats on the Brute though. I just bought one this year. Haven't really noticed if it is tippier than my previous machines, but regardless, one should be careful with ANY machine when sidehilling or going over rough terrain because you should be able to tell when riding if you are getting near the "tip" angle.

I think one of the problems is too many people sit on their ass all the time when on a machine. In my experience, if you do that, you can't really properly balance on the machine when riding rough ground. People need to learn to get up and re-distribute their weight when riding. Not to mention that if you are seated and it goes over, it is almost impossible to get off the machine. I will not double on a quad unless I am going over fairly even, easy terrain. If the riding is going to be the kind I like to do, which is a bit more extreme, I refuse to double as I can't properly control the machine and position myself on the machine as I need to. My ten year old son rides a Chinese 110 cc machine (when it runs). It's fairly light and fairly stable, but he NEVER rides it without me around and without his helmut and chest protector. I have let him ride the Honda 350 once, but that was only to move it about 100 feet and I was standing right there. I've ridden enough to know that there is some validity to what W5 was saying when it comes to how quickly you can lose control of a quad. Barrelling down a paved road at 60 miles per hour on a quad is crazy, as they are simply not as stable as a car. If you are not careful, you can easily start to lose it and flip the thing. That's probably what happened to the son of the couple from Edmonton. The fact is that if quads aren't ridden properly, like ANYTHING ELSE, yeah you can get hurt, but if you are careful and RIDE the machine, not just SIT ON IT, you should be okay.

 

[BC Sno-Ghost]

After last years' snowmobile carnage, how long til we see this exact report on snowmobiles. Why are the fricken arm chair warriors so dam he!! bent on regulating the $hit out of every activity that comes with its inherent risks. If you think they're dangerous, stay the He!! off of them. The odd freak accident does indeed happen, but most tragedies are the result of ....as mentioned in the video.."Rider Behavior". Over confidence, lack of experience or training and mostly STUPIDITY. Wouldn't these bleeding hearts time be better spent trying to outlaw tobacco, which takes the lives of of a He!!uva lot more people than ATVs ever will.

 

[Riverjet]

I agree, all the toys we ride are all dangerous. Dangerous in the wrong hands.
I've driven superB chip trucks for a few years and they are no more dangerous than any quad. Anything in the wrong hands is dangerous. Your car or pickup, your bicycle or ice skates are all dangerous. If you ride like an idiot you will crash. Drive your car like an idiot and you will crash.

This W5 story has blown this way out of proportion.