KY #1 in ATV deaths

[Trev]

HGM,

Sounds like you have a great son, and a lot to be proud of in your own parenting over the years.

Training is essential, but something I find people are somewhat resistant to. It implies that they don't already know it all. I took a driver's training course a while back.. and went in thinking I've probably been driving since before this teacher was born. That was the first thing I was wrong about.. the guy was about 80 years old, and was the person who investigated *all* school bus accidents in the state of NY. He knew his stuff.

One of the things he stressed is what he called the biggest mistake he sees people making on a routine basis; if someone is sitting in the left lane "turning" lane of a multi-lane road, waiting to turn left, they almost always have their wheel turned to the left.. so as soon as oncoming traffic has passed they can just go ahead and make their turn. What they never think of is what if they get rear-ended? With the wheels already turned to the left, they are going to be pushed right into a head-on collision. Always keeps the wheels pointed straight ahead until it's time to make your move. This is just one example of the kinds of things people need to learn and practice.

I'm a firm believer in getting knowledge wherever you can.. the worst that can happen is you learn nothing. Okay, so be it. But you might learn something valuable.. and in this case it lowered our car insurance rates simply by virtue of having taken this course. We'd had no violations and no accidents, but this lowered our rates. And now the "keep the wheels pointed straight ahead" is something I share with anyone when the opportunity arises. I've yet to find one person who wasn't surprised by that insight and said "Hmm, that's a really good idea!"

Now my goal, someday, is to take Bob Bondurant's high performance driving class. I hear that the first day of training, he loads all the students into an old van, and takes them around the race track a few times. They get to see what a *real* driver can do, no matter what the vehicle. The next day the real training begins.. but they already have some idea of the clear difference between what they can do and what a real pro can do. I'd *love* to take that course! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Bob

 

[HGM]

I'd love to do the race courses as well. I got to spend a couple of hours on the company test track a couple of years ago and it was awsome. I didnt get any professional training, but the guys that were there with me gave me some good pointers and we had a blast. Its amazing how much you can learn from the simplest experience if you just allow it to happen. One thing I tell my tech's is that if you think you know everything, you may as well retire... Someone else egar to learn will be right there behind you to take over where you left off and do a much better job because they were willing to learn.

BTW, thanks, I am very proud of him. He's my only child but I have watched folks over the years screw theirs up. I'm nowhere near a perfect parent but I try to keep him on his toes, he sure does me.. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[CRJCaptain]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I hold on to my (sometimes rather unpopular) belief that ALL motorcycle/ATV riders should wear a helmet ALL OF THE TIME, regardless of age. )</font>


Great post...talk to any ER doctor or orthopod and they'll heartily agree.

Read this: Orthopaedic Doctor's Opinion on ATV's

The most relevant passage regarding helmets:

<font color="red">"...the key piece of safety equipment is a safety helmet that meets standards set for helmets used by motorcycle riders. As with motorcycle riders, the helmet provides the best protection available against death or serious, disabling injury. In 80 percent of the deaths from accidents involving ATVs, the driver was not wearing a helmet." </font>

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Thanks.

In addition to wearing a helmet, wear a GOOD helmet. I recall an add from the late 1980's that appeared in some motorcycle magazines. I believe it was an add for Shoei Helmets. It said;

Have a $25 brain? Wear a $25 helmet.
Have a $500 brain? wear a $500 helmet.

(Then there was a picture of some clown on a 4-wheeler with the "turned-around baseball cap" and under it was the caption,
"Have NO brain? Wear...............

If you ride an ATV 100,000,000 times without a helmet, and there's no fatal injury, and then you have ONE accident that results in loss of life, you're STILL dead. Wear a helmet.

 

[wvrocks]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Well, some state has to be #1, I guess.

Any thoughts as to why KY is number 1

Cliff )</font>

Maybe it makes the seats really slick. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I'll be here all week.

 

[riptides]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Maybe it makes the seats really slick. I'll be here all week.)</font>

Man, that's just wrong. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif