Very sad

[flyingcr250]

Hey Barty
Is that the part of the track that you turn hard left just thru the gate (top corner of the paddock that the kids track is in)? Then go along the top and drop off and zig zag down the hill, quite narrow and really tight corners.
The alternative is straight through the gate and down the fence line.

aaahh yes i know the area your talking about, no way should a kid on a quad be going down that hill especially after the light showers we had that day.

[Gravel911]

If thats the case, unbelivable to let a child go down there on any bike!!

But hey this is probably not the right time to be disscusing this.

[noobi]

the place isn't particularly well marked at the best of times, i know of places where short cuts lead to going backwards up the track.

condolences to the family

[Bradz]

Secondly I can't think that a proper MX helmet could be crushed by a kids size quad but anything is possible I suppose, also can't think where there is a Zig-Zag Hill bit up the kiddies or learners area. But again the Newspaper could have it wrong?

from what i saw of her while i was there, she was wearing a pink fly helmet and riding what looked like a yamaha raptor 90 or similar.

[camchain]

Even if she'd been wearing a "proper" helmet, it appears unlikely that it would have saved her. There are some activities that should be denied to children, irrespective of "safety equipment". Riding quad bikes is one such. Riding ZX6s on the open road is another. So too is playing with loaded firearms. While I feel for the parents' loss, it is their negligence that has resulted in this tragedy.

Unfortunately it is unlikely that this will be the last child to be needlessly killed by a quad bike, despite high-profile prosecutions.

Not a big fan of quads myself Hitcher. Fell off the back on a sand dune at Woodhill superbowl. The bloody thing followed me down and landed on me while I was in bent in half/mid tumble. Felt/heard a huge boney 'crunch' with more pain than I thought was possible. Broke my back, had to be choppered out. As well as being heavy, that's the big problem with quads, you tip 'em over and they keep rolling.

Good to discuss but have to be a bit careful about jumping to conclusions with minimal info. Can't watch kids all the time but no doubt the parents will know with extreme and painful clarity what they should have done that day. BTW - I looked at that herald online article - very misleading photo of adult quad on trailer next to story, that didn't look accidental to me.

[camchain]

Topic tangent: That "Piha Rescue" TV show was on the other night for our entertainment. Swarms of folks jump into the pounding surf and dangerous rips - again and again. If the surf lifesavers weren't plucking drowning people out, folks would be dying ALL the time there in summer. Kind of weird that this is accepted as being a totally normal part of life in NZ.
Swimming is a healthy and positive NZ activity, but motorcycles are dangerous and nasty. Our sport could definitely do with a PR makeover.

[Danger]

Read about this today in the Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10615984

My condolences to the family, such a bloody waste.