I say pass a law that no kids under 16 will be allowed to drive these deadly machines.
Would this also include snowmobiles????
Friday, December 08, 2006
John Foran - Should kids be allowed to drive killer machines???
In my view? Kids shouldn't be allowed to drive these machine. We all know there's no discipline in the homes so what makes a person believe they will be discipline on these machines?
I say pass a law that no kids under 16 will be allowed to drive these deadly machines.
Would this also include snowmobiles????
I say pass a law that no kids under 16 will be allowed to drive these deadly machines.
Would this also include snowmobiles????
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10 comments:
What about the kids that go out with there dads and are resonsable. My son has the proper size bike and can only use it when I am with him. Why should he suffer because some parents don't look at it the same way and just let there kids go out on them with out an adult.
Suffer? The world doesn't revolve around your son. Judging by your attitude, I have to ask, are you going to ignore the law when it is made official, and let your child ride on it anyway?
A person can try the same argument with just about anything. "10 year old Johnny should be able to drink a beer with me - if I'm with him, he's responsible. Why should my kid suffer?" or "My 11 year old Sally should be able to drive a car - if I'm with him, he's responsible." or "My 8 year old Bobby should be able to go hunting with me - if I'm with him, he's responsible." Kids are kids. By definition, because of immaturity and physical size, they should not be allowed to do everything that we as adults can.
Safety-related laws like this are usually introduced because of the lowest common denominators in society - those people who have zero control over their children and don't care what their kids are doing or where they are at any given time of the day. Common sense is lacking for too many people.
You can believe me, there are fewer responsable kids on these machines than there are kids with no idea what they are doing or how bad they could be hurt. I live in the country and I see these machines going down the roads here with kids and no helmets, going fast and three on a machine. The big trouble is there is not enough police to do their jobs so why make more rules. I once had a neighbour that let his son run all over the neighbourhood on a Big Red three wheel machine. He braged how good his kid was, well this kid tryed to jump a culvert and missed, the child was spladdered for thirty feet on the road, after the shock of having to bury his child this man wanted all the machines distroyed and played a big part in getting the three wheelers off the market. The trouble was it was not the bikes that killed this man's child it was the man himself. Instead of teaching the child the proper way to ride this bike,or getting the child lessons, he just let the child go and have fun, or as he said at the time, kids will be kids and scrapes and bruses will heal. Before we get responsable children on these machines we need to educate the adults. Just take a walk through the back woods trails and see the mess these michines are making. It just takes a few to ruin it for a lot of responcable people.
so the 98% of parents and children who respect the laws, and behave responsibly with these machines suffer for the 2% of adults who refuse to police there own children so everyone suffers. Get a clue people, the small children who ride these bike now with no supervision and no helments etc, will still be riding them when this stupid law gets passed by the soon to be former premier sean graham. whatever happened to personal responsibility. oh yeah thats right, becuase there are idiots who can't gamble responsibly, the rest of us suffer. The morons who drink and drive their boats and cars make the rest of us suffer, yet they still drink and drive, up until and sometimes after they are caught and convicted. now the majority of responsible atv drivers who do and will respect the law will suffer while the idiots will continue to flaunt the laws still after it has passed. any of you brain cells figure out how we will pay to enforce this retarded law?
crawl out of your shell's people. this is the real world. i have news for you. people over 16 die on these machines also. 9 out of 10 times it's because they were doing something they shouldn't have been doing. why should I and my children suffer for the morons who won't respect any law that comes into effect.
you make me want to puke.
"killer machines"
That is one of the most irresponsible headlines you've ever posted charles leblanc. I have 3 children. All have been riding atv's since the were small with supervision. now two of them will have to ride illegally even though they ride better than many adults out there. Cars can be killer machines also when placed in the hands of irresponsible people. why do we all need to suffer for those who are so stupid?
Get use to it fellers, I just lost a great business that I had nearly $200,000. invested in but due to some idiot in B.C. I'm now cutting up my business and selling it for scrap. I've always said you can't regulate stupidity, but what does the government do? I'm sure one that believes we can do without all these rules, but what does the people say when they hear of a couple of children hurt or worse, killed, due to careless adults not caring enough to teach their children right from wrong. some one has to step in and do something. We, the public cause the government to move in and make these rules, it our fault not theirs.
So what other laws do you people break because you think you're too good for them?
All the whining in the world saying "my kid is so responsible!" doesn't matter - the kids should not be driving ADULT-sized vehicles. Kid-sizes ones should be allowed but at least have the common sense to recognize that small bodies don't belong on large machines.
Yes, the same irresponsible parents and childrens will continue to ride after the law is enacted but at least then if they happen to be caught, they will be charged.
It goes back to personal responsibility. Yes, because of a few people who love to blame everyone else for their own problems, other people lose personal freedoms. Look at VLT's as a prime example. Some people want them banned, simply because some people can't control themselves. To heck with the majority of the population who CAN control themselves. We're turning into a babysitter state.
I understand the comments and have tried to look at both sides of this story. My son drives a 4 wheeler with his dad. In fact, my son taught me to drive it however, the rules were clearly explained to him. He does not drive it alone or at the speeds I have seen adults drive. My friend had a serious accident on one due to stupidity - he was 40.
My point is why do we call on the government to regulate our lives in everything. Can we not make our own choices. Think about it - there are alcoholics out there but we don't want to close all the bars, yet we want to close VLT's due to addictions. We call on the government. They can't control addictions. Lives are ruined by bad choices, be it letting a kid on a machine unsupervised, drinking to excess or gambling. The government can't change the choices we make - only we can do that.
I grew up driving snowmobiles and ATVs. I rode machines by myself since I was 10. I've never had an accident. I never drove fast. I always wore a helmet and drove with someone else, on trails I knew. I only went out after the snow had settled or the trail was groomed.
I saw lots of 20 year olds zooming by at kamakaze speeds. How many 20 year olds died racing snowmobiles? Why aren't THEY regulated?
80% of riders are responsible. Why punish the other 20% who are not? Who is going to enforce these laws? We cannot afford to regulate any more. We're not even catching drunk drivers on the back roads. How are we going to catch 14 year olds on 4 wheelers??
When your time is up - it's up. You're gonna go one way or another, whether it's on an ATV or on a ride at Disney World.
In response to your commentary "ATVS: SETTING HIGH STANDARD", Tuesday December 5th, I have many issues with the proposed changes in the "Off-Road Vehicles Act", and have sent my arguments to government officials and the media (without response thus far). One of the biggest issues I have is the lack of education on the issue that the media is giving the public. All anybody hears or reads is about the accidents involving young children on large ATVs. In fact, many people believe the proposed ban has to deal with ATVs only. The truth is that the proposed legislation is a ban on under 16 operators of ALL off-highway vehicles - "The ban will include all off-road vehicles, such as ATVs, snowmobiles, dirt bikes, dune buggies and amphibious machines." (source Province of New Brunswick web site, "News" [http://www.gnb.ca/cnb/news/ps/2006e1468ps.htm]) Here is one major flaw: there are machines manufactured with small children in mind. There is a huge difference between young children operating machines not designed for them, operating them without adherence to the current laws (as is the case of the recent tragedies), and children operating machines tailored to their sizes and skill levels, within the parameters of the current laws. There is a huge difference between a child on a 800cc, 650lb machine, and a child on a 50cc, 85lb machine. One broad ban is grossly unfair and unreasonable.
In closing, I wish to point out your invalid comparison between the proposed ban and the helmet law. There is no comparison because the helmet law deals with a safety issue whereby ALL riders are required to wear one for their safety in case of an accident. The ban, as mentioned above, is a gross over-reaction because it is a fact that children, following the current laws, can safely operate off-road vehicles. Also, accident statistics are thrown around freely by those in favour of the ban; how many of these accidents included infractions to the current laws? Sadly, we know that the two most recent New Brunswick deaths involving children and ATVs came about while these laws were being broken. Although I feel for the families, changing the laws because the government is unwilling to enforce the current law (I am not aware of any charges being laid in either case) is not the answer.
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