Prevent Alcohol & Risk Related Trauma in Youth

Parent's P.A.R.T.Y.

Age, Size, and Risk-Taking

Discussions of age and ATV/snowmobile use touched on multifarious issues including size and weight of the machine vs the child (e.g., can a young person lift it off of themselves if it overturns?), power of the machine, marketing, parenting, disposable income, cultural paradigms, risk-taking, and brain development. The discussions were varied (see sample of inputs below), but at the bottom line, the 300-member group as a whole strongly supported limiting ATV and snowmobile driving to 16 years and older (see age and opinion charts). That is, the consensus was that adult-sized ATVs should be operated only by people 16 years and over of appropriate strength, body weight, maturity, and competency. Click here to see other issues participants felt were important.

    See also speed, stunting, and alcohol, licensing, and Age Restrictions.

    LEGISLATION

  • For recommended age limits see analysis of ratings
  • Age limits for being on any ATV/sled--increase the age.
  • Age restrictions. Legislation.
  • I think we should raise the age limit to 18.
  • Make a certain age for driving. Anyone at the age of 18 and under cannot drive an ATV and snowmobile.
  • Make a regulation on cc size with the age.
  • Make it law for age 16; policing
  • No one is allowed to drive under the age of 16.
  • There should be a law against driving under the age of 18; the parents should go to jail or get a bad fine, so parents wouldn’t let their child drive around

    • RESTRICTIONS

  • Children should not be permitted to ride in front of adult while quadding. Children could potentially grab throttle causing machine to lose control. For further details on children riding as passengers, see analysis of ratings
  • Don’t let people under 10 ride
  • Govern their quads on age. Example 75 km/h = 16 years
  • I haven't let my kids drive the quad and am not likely to.
  • If you can’t lift the quad up on its wheels you can’t take the ATV out on your own...
  • Solution is to not let little kids ride these.
  • Young people shouldn't be able to drive.

    • RISK-TAKING

  • A lot of youth aren't so worried about safety as well as like to show off.
  • Atvs are fun. The age group that is experiencing these injuries don't listen very well. They need to be well educated and well supervised while driving these vehicles.
  • Awareness as to who/what age is not taking calculated risks
  • Brain development facts and how signals work on decision making
  • But what are the youth going to do when they are out of their parent's sight?
  • Focus on the impact of the behaviour of youth and how additional disposable income plays a powerful role in the number of incidents with their ATV's. See also Social Factors
  • Kids develop differently at different ages.
  • Kids think they are indestructible and the parents don’t see what's going on.
  • Lack of fear: when I was younger I had a complete lack of fear. Never did I think anything could ever happen, unable to foresee situations that could come up.
  • Need a little insight as to why young people take unnecessary risks.
  • The percentage of kids that get killed or get hurt.
  • The realization of how many youth get hurt or injured.
  • The stats on death in youth.
  • Too many kids getting hurt.
  • Youth need to be reminded that they have very little control of big powerful machines driven at high speeds.

    • SIZE

  • Buy quads that fit the size and ability of the rider. Don’t put a kid on an 800 cc quad or sled. Remember when 400 cc's were unheard of.
  • Don’t put new or small riders on big machines
  • Enforce the age limit of how old you must be to operate the machine. Anyone under the age of 16 should have parent's supervision and only be able to use an ATV of a certain size (e.g.,50 cc)
  • Engine sizes are to be regulated by age. Restrict the size to the age the same as motor bikes. Under 16 years must be limited less than 100 cc.
  • Governor their quads on age (e.g., 75km to 16 years, 85 km - 18 years)
  • If a youth cannot reach the foot pegs then the youth should not be on the ATV.
  • Match the size of ATV/snowmobile to the age/size/maturity.
  • Promote more age appropriate quad sizes (if shown effective.)
  • Proper machine for age and skill set.
  • Proper size of machine for the age and size of person.
  • The age at which a youth rides should be set on skill and size. If a kid cannot reach the foot pegs or pick the machine over from quad on its side, back to upright they should not ride.
  • Too short to reach the pedals under 13 years old.

    • SUPERVISION

  • Must be 18 or older; anyone under age 18 must be supervised at all times.
  • No children under 10 should ride by themselves.
  • No one under 16 should be allowed to ride without adult supervision.
  • supervision; group as to lone driving.