Should children be banned from riding quad bikes?

**Leyton** · 12th September 2009, 10:14

Bah let parents should be parents and decide, Not our govenment.

NZ has to stop legislating against law biding citizens.. if a parent wants their kid to ride a quad bike.. the kid is not going to think about the laws... or respect them.. so kids going to be kids.

Dumb

**scumdog** · 12th September 2009, 10:19

Most of the time it's dumb-arse (ok, unknowing then) parents/cargivers (A wtf word imho) who think "Ooh, THAT looks like so much fun" and are totally unaware of the dangers due to no imagination of how it can go wrong for a kiddy on a heavy, unstable machine.

More publicity of the dangers and some education on what not to do would be a bigger help than banning kids on them.

**Leyton** · 12th September 2009, 10:27

Originally Posted by scumdog

More publicity of the dangers and some education on what not to do would be a bigger help than banning kids on them.

I completely agree there Scumdog

**cheesemethod** · 12th September 2009, 10:59

Originally Posted by scumdog

Most of the time it's dumb-arse (ok, unknowing then) parents/cargivers (A wtf word imho) who think "Ooh, THAT looks like so much fun" and are totally unaware of the dangers due to no imagination of how it can go wrong for a kiddy on a heavy, unstable machine.

More publicity of the dangers and some education on what not to do would be a bigger help than banning kids on them.

Yeah but you know what that means this day in age. There will be a whole bunch of expensive television ads featuring kids getting killed under quad bikes. Those in charge of ACC and LTNZ seem to think that scaring the shit out of people is better than prevention through education.

**paulmac:Me** · 12th September 2009, 12:19

Originally Posted by cheesemethod

Yeah but you know what that means this day in age. There will be a whole bunch of expensive television ads featuring kids getting killed under quad bikes. Those in charge of ACC and LTNZ seem to think that scaring the shit out of people is better than prevention through education.

And our rego will go up to pay for it !!!

**Ktmboy** · 12th September 2009, 23:59

Originally Posted by L Rider

LT50's are great for the little ones. Alot of the problems are with dickhead parents or so called adults who are meant to be in charge. Too many people just chuck kids on any bike & leave them to it.
Just gotta spend a day on the pee wee track at the Sandpit - heaps of young kids on there with no idea with no parents in sight - normally they're out riding themselves.

The Peewee track is just that. A safe track for 50cc and under where it is safe to ride. Plus our staff are 20 mtrs away and we strictly police this!!.

**Ktmboy** · 13th September 2009, 00:06

Originally Posted by p.dath

I'd have to vote no, based on the assumption that there isn't a significant number of deaths (don't know how many child deaths occurr on quads, but I'm guessing not many).

There is already sufficient legislation around duty of care to deal with parents that are completely negligent.

Learning is what children do, and appropriate parent care and supervision should be enough.

I would have thought that 16 (yes 16 youth deaths) in 4 years is enough. Quads are unforgiving. If you fall off a bike then you fall off. On a quad you roll. Thats the difference. 250kg of roll over on top of a 6 yr old. Fark you might as well just drop a brick on top of the young uns.

It does happen.Come ride a quad with me and i'll show you what can happen.

**laserracer** · 13th September 2009, 07:23

Ok thats fine but, if you ban kids from quads then you really have to ban them from bikes too ,Then ya gonna get the idiots saying 2 strokes pollute, lets ban them,and ban riding on farm land and forrests,where will it stop, just make the parents responsible or maybe if you buy a kids quad you have to attend a saftey course.Or fit them all with roll cages and seatbelts

**CookMySock** · 13th September 2009, 07:40

Originally Posted by Mom

Should children be banned from crossing the road? Should children be banned from...? just about anything that could cause them harm.

Uh, children ARE banned from crossing the road. No parent in their right mind will give a 5-6 yearold "road crossing instructions" and leave them to it - thats daft. 5-6 yearolds on quads should be fine after some instruction. Come and have a ride at the pocketbike track, and watch said 5-6 yearolds give you the learn.

I don't think kids should be banned from quads. I think parents should be allowed to do as they choose with their kids. We have always shoved our kids off the deep end, and now they proceed with no fear, but with a healthy dose of reality. Many times we have to sternly pull them in check, and sometimes there are tears, but thats the way of it - the only alternative is the cotton wool approach, and that doesn't fit well with me.

As long as there aren't tears from a bad injury or worse.

Originally Posted by Ktmboy

I would have thought that 16 (yes 16 youth deaths) in 4 years is enough.

Thats four people a year. I would guess that more people were killed falling down stairs than that.

Steve

**rat biker 08** · 13th September 2009, 07:42

My son is 5 years old and he has one he,s come off and knows thay are can hurt him

but im not going to stop him rideing

as i think it makes him safer on it.

**B0000M** · 13th September 2009, 08:49

a fact of life is people will die doing things. - kids on quads, falling down stairs, crossing roads, driving, running, cycling, playing rugby, boxing, sleeping, eating, gymnastics, swimming, surfing, u name it.

at the end of the day, some things in life carry some danger with them. and people will die. the aim is to try not to be one of them. we cant go around continuously making laws to try and stop freak accidents.

**Leyton** · 13th September 2009, 18:37

Originally Posted by Ktmboy

The Peewee track is just that. A safe track for 50cc and under where it is safe to ride. Plus our staff are 20 mtrs away and we strictly police this!!.

I had a Peewee when I was 6 years old

Used to setup jumps on the front lawn LOL!...

and if you fall off you fall off, independent of supervision

I remember age 7 laying out a circut around the front lawn (1 arce section) and racing my old man around on it.. lol, those were the days.

We need to harden up

**That Guy** · 13th September 2009, 20:01

I just set my 4 year old off on a four wheeler for the first time today. It was a little one (LT50). He had a ball. His confidence grew and grew and within an hour he was away charging around laughing and giggling with glee. He learned how to master his initial fear (LT50s have enough pep to scare you if you are 4 and riding for the first time in your life) control situations getting out of control (use the brake) and how to push (no reverse). He was outside in the sun getting puffed and excited.

...oh, and he's still alive and sleeping very soundly right now.