That's why I don't ride em...

[Mudrig150 298]

Recreational ATVs are the most dangerous things imaginable. Most people ride them with no helmets, and they are fast, easy to flip. Many argue that dirt bikes are more unsafe, but they are uncomfortable to ride without safety gear and only weigh one or two hundred pounds, while recreational ATVs weigh a hell of a lot more. There's a reason we sold our recreational ATV and only use utility quads. Some people, learn the hard way that they're dangerous.

Some kid at my school just rolled his quad onto himself, it broke his back, and within 3 hours he passed from his injuries. No helmet, no safety gear, nothing, just winter clothing. He was going 35 on the trail, hit a hole, and the quad flipped, crushing him.

Was a totally freak accident...that was totally preventable.

He was warned multiple times to wear safety gear, and there are even signs all along the trail telling you to slow down. Of course, teens being teens, he not only ignored them, but him and his friends tagged all the signs to be funny. Now look where he is. Just goes to show the ignorance of some people...

[WHNJ701 4,165]

 I have been riding all my life, my 2 boys both started at age 3 riding.  driving is one of the most important skills in life.  teaching how to ride responsible and respect your machine go along way. they don't ride unless they have all the safety gear.   you can just as easily flip a garden tractor too at 4mph and knock your head and get crushed.

sadly when you look at the accidents mostly it's not the machines fault, it's usually alcohol, no helmet, speed, inexperienced riders, at night no lights or on roads,  etc..

I knew a kid in high school 20 years ago who got messed up pretty good never rode a quad before decided to jump on one at a party in flipped it in 2 minutes.  

however accidents can happen to anybody regardless of experience.  once riding a dirt bike I had a stick get wedged in the front spokes  locked the front wheel and went flying head first, whacked my head on tree and cracked the helmet.  if I wasn't wearing one I am sure I wouldn't be writing this now.

it's the chance you take in life.

[Achto 27,624]

Very sorry to hear about this unfortunate accident. I was young & foolish myself and rode dirt bikes, ATV's, go karts all with out safety gear. It took a close call for me to wise up. Hopefully others in your area will take note and learn from this misfortune. 

[Mudrig150 298]

They didn't say anything about it but knowing the kid and his friends... They are that crowd. They were probably on marijuana or drunk. God knows they can't go 5 minutes without smoking something, whether it be a juul or weed.

[pfrederi 17,742]

Kids are forever tearing up and down our road on quads some with some with out helmets.  I am sure their parents know they ride safely...yeah as long as the are with in view of their house.

[rmaynard 15,530]

Having read all the above... I guess after nearly 70 years, I'm lucky to be alive. 

[Mickwhitt 4,647]

As a fatal accident investigator I have seen my fair share of seriously injured and dead riders of all things wheeled.

Quad bikes, field bikes, road bikes of all kinds that came to grief when ambition of the rider exceeded their ability. They can ignore the rules of the road but the laws of physics tend to be harder to skirt round. Excess speed, alcohol and drug use all play their part. 

But irresponsible use is the biggest factor, ignoring safe practices and taking risks is part of the human condition so it will never end. 

Just take care of yourself and let others make their choices, right or wrong.

Mick 

[Mudrig150 298]

So apparently they've been doing an investigation of the accident:

The obvious: He was wearing no safety gear and hit a ditch, which flipped the quad.

He was tired, he hadn't slept for 35 hours (playing fortnite, because of course he was)

The trail washed out with the last rain, which worsened the ditch that he hit.

Apparently his quad was worn and the steering was wonky, which made it dart around.

There was a bush coming down over the trail which made him dart across, and he never went back over to the left side.

He hit 35 as he smashed into the ditch.

His friends pressured him into riding with them.

 

It all came together to form a disaster.

[Stepney 2,325]

Having lost a friend or a few to similar things myself, perhaps I'm coldhearted in this regard. Very sorry to hear what happened to the fellow. But a quad is only as dangerous as you make it. I've been driving Elans and 3 wheelers, even a Chrysler SnoRunner for years. Drive it with respect and you'll almost never have an issue. Start running them like an idiot, and you will get hurt or killed. Even if they were close, after the number I've had, I've simply given them my respects, and left. I'm not going to bawl my eyes out because someone wouldn't take advice and got himself killed. Be it wrecking a wheeler, riding a snowmobile across marked private property and being decapitated by a fence wire, car wrecks with no safety and alcohol.. I do whatever I can and often try too hard. It's their choice after that. 

[Tractorhead 9,064]

Sorry to hear from the lost of your friend.

 

but just a few Words about the Thema

 

I drove different Vehicles from Bicicle, Scooters, Quadbikes and Motocycles and even Cars in several Race‘s.

Did you ever take a jump with a BMX Bike?

There is no engine in, but with less skill, you also can be hurt until a broken neck whilst trying a Salti without Safety Gear.

A Collegoue of mine has a scar in the Face, because he train a jump on a Ramp with a BMX Bike without helmet,

his luck was that he falls lucky, otherwise this could be his last Jump. 

It was just 5cm, they decided between „just open lips“ and a broken neck...

He later realizes how close it was, but all preventive warnings will be ignored from him.

 

What counts harder i found are the other theme you talking about.

As long as i drive races, one thing never be happen together, Alcohol or even Drugs and drive,

this is prevented itself by a normal peoples mind.

If you will be seen while consumpt drugs or Alcohol on the Racetrack, you got a prohibition to Race forever.

Later at victory celebration Alcohol was allowed, but the check in unannounced controls if you be „clean“.

 

I had also several Crashes in my active times, but not the machines was the Dangerous, it was my own personality skills,

i tend to blast and sometimes missed.

I allway’s know about the danger and allway’s i accept them, but just with use of safety gear, i survived 2 horror crashes in my active times.

Things can allway’s be happen, but to wear safety Gear is allway‘s a good idea if you try things first times.

So you can survive once a double rollover with a quadbike or a jump to hang,

i feared shortly by jump begin and this ends up with a total Crash.

 

Sure, it could end a other Way, but the Safety Gear prevents me until now from harder injuries in my life.

Not for nothing i build a ROPS shield on my Iseki with FEL.

My Tractor is not fast, but there are a lot of death all year, whilst peoples misusing the FEL without a ROPS.

it doesn‘t look cool i heard sometimes, but hey it‘s my life and if i smash it, i wanna survive that.

 

So each vehicle, independently wich kind of it was, can be used for Transportation purposes or can be missused

even as a Weapon, this just depends on the Driver and his skills or sometimes the circumstances.

 

Everybody is free, to use his mind in case of driving or using a Vehicle.

I agree 100% @Mickwhitt  and @Stepney

 just to put a Warning Sticker on a Vehicle, doesn‘t prevent any injuries.

 

A  Danger allway's is with you, there is no matter how safe you drive, ride, walk, one idiot in opposite direction

and you can have a crash, what be ends up in harmed or dead. 

There is no insurance for, you also just can look at peoples face, but not in their mind.

 

I compare this similar to Weapons, a Weapon itself is just a mix of Material and not dangerous,

but in worng hands, they are.

 

But again sorry for the loss.

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2019 by Tractorhead

[Stormin 9,981]

  Rode pillion behind my father from 8yr old. At 16 had my own motorcycle. Up to 10 yrs ago, something like over 40 bikes of various sizes and makes passed through my ownership. Yes, some got thrown down the road. Well I did ride 363 days of the year. Sun, rain and snow until I got my car licence at 22.

  Took part in 4x4 off road competitions for 25yrs. Trials, winching events etc. In all that time, apart from a bit of skin loss and a few bruises, I count myself lucky to have come to no serious harm. My father instilled in me a strong sense of self preservation.

  Now we come to the funny part. At 45yrs old while playing a girls game called Rounders for fun...……..I BROKE my right leg.

 

 Maybe I should have got padded up like an American footballer.  

 

[Mudrig150 298]

He wasn't my friend. I don't run with that crowd. He was just a kid who decided to be stupid and paid the price.

[Tractorhead 9,064]

5 hours ago, Mudrig150 said:

He wasn't my friend. I don't run with that crowd. He was just a kid who decided to be stupid and paid the price.

 

 

Ah ok, than i missinterpret your Post, i thought it was your Friend, goaded by some other crazy guy‘s.

 

Some of us do sometimes stupid things, me too to be honest.😎

 

The main thing is to know what kind of risk you wanna agree at things you do.

Some Risks aren’t visible at the youth, they need a bit more life experience, to know what‘s happen if you do, 

but otherwise nobody will jump with a Quadbike or a Motorcycle via a Table or a Ramp.

In the youth i liked it, driven hardly and excessive. Race as hard as it could go.

Possible Risks where not in my way of mind. I can‘t grasp if it was a risk or not, for me it was only Fun.

 

I just enjoyed all my jumps, sometimes 15-20 meter far.

Some landings are fantastic and smooth, some they aren‘t. 😂😱

few looks spectacular, few was painful, but each jump was a challenge with myself.

I know it mostly first after „Airborne“, if Landing was finally happen if it was a good jump or not.

 

That ain‘t be suporior attitude, that‘s my own life experience from several years of practices 

Not all Actions yo‘ll take will end up in a disaster, but sometimes it could a bit of Luck is allway‘s required in life.

Hardcore MX is like a ride on a razorblade sometimes.

 

There wasn‘t a bubblefoil arround us to protect us from all stupid things we did sometime, means life is life.

 

 

I never will miss any of my Jumps or Stunts i did, i will maybe not repeat them now,

but i still remember all that Actions with a smile in my Face - the good’s and the also the fail.