Media Takes Swipes at ATVs
By Royce Wood
December 17, 2004 – It wasn't too long ago that People magazine, and The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, took hits at ATVs, with a focus on kids riding the machines.
The CBS News piece wasn't so bad. In fact, it essentially
reinforced what we've been saying for quite some time: Parents must take safety
precautions to protect their kids.
The People magazine piece was a different story.
Both People magazine and The CBS Evening News highlighted a tragic incident involving a 10-year-old Oregon boy killed while riding a full-size ATV.
The People magazine story, titled "Danger on Four Wheels," clearly wanted ATVs regulated. And the article noted the American Academy of Pediatrics supports a ban on kids under 16 from ever riding ATVs.
"The popularity of ATVs is soaring. So are the numbers of children killed or maimed by these deceptively risky—and almost totally unregulated—vehicles." the magazine said in a sub-headline.
The magazine did note that the number of kids hurt or killed on ATVs is only a small percentage of the deaths and injuries from bicycle accidents.
"But there is a growing outcry that something must be done to improve ATV safety for kids—who, in most states, are allowed to ride the large, powerful vehicles regardless of age, with few if any restrictions," the magazine said.
This article provides ammunition for ATV opponents when they go to statehouses across the nation lobbying for tougher ATV-related regulations, and restrictions on kids riding ATVs. As you know, the Consumer Federation of America, Bluewater Network and the Natural Trails and Waters Coalition have been trying to get the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission to keep kids off ATVs.
The
groups first asked the commission for a ban on all ATV use by those under the
age of 16, but the commission said it didn't have the authority to enforce such
a ban.
The groups now want the commission to ban the sale of full-size ATVs for the use of children under 16, which is something the ATV industry voluntarily does.
Not only are the Consumer Federation of American and the anti-access land groups attacking ATVs at the federal level, but they're taking their fight to statehouses and, apparently, to the national news media.
We fought back during the Consumer Product Safety Commission hearings, and we're fighting back in state Capitols whenever proposed anti-ATV legislation pops up. The Consumer Product Safety Commission hasn't yet issued any kind of ruling coming out of its ATV-safety hearings.
The CBS piece, to its credit, noted that the parents of the Oregon boy saw, but ignored, the warning stickers on the full-size ATV that said nobody under 16 should ride it. The news report also noted the ATV industry makes smaller machines specifically for kids.
CBS News also showed children riding double on an ATV under their father's supervision. The father admitted knowing that the ATV industry warns against riding double on ATVs for safety reasons.
"But everyone does it," the father said.
Sheryl Van Der Leun, an ATV industry spokeswoman, was quoted as saying that most people follow the recommended safety guidelines for ATVs, "but there are always going to be a few who don't."
The piece served as a poignant reminder of the responsibility parents have to ensure the safety of their kids.
The ATVA recommends that children ride appropriate-sized machines, that parents closely supervise riders younger than 16, and that no riders carry passengers on machines unless the machine is designed for more than one rider.
You can get involved in fighting anti-ATV forces. On this website, click on the "Rapid Response" button. There, you'll find explanations of issues affecting ATVs in your state, and you can send a pre-written letter to the appropriate government officials and lawmakers to protect ATVing.
You can also help by getting friends to join the ATVA. Tell them to call (866) ATVA-JOIN to join, or join online by clicking the Join button above. With more members, we have more clout to fight the battle in the halls of government.
Royce Wood is an AMA/ATVA legislative affairs specialist. He can be reached by telephone at (614) 856-1900, ext. 1225, by e-mail at rwood@atvaonline.com, or by mail at Royce Wood, ATVA, 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, OH 43147.