Editorial: Toward safer off-roading

Nearly seven years after a 13-year-old Forestdale boy was killed when he was thrown from his motorized dirt bike on a wooded trail near the Massachusetts Military Reservation, the state Senate has passed a bill that improves safety regulations for operators of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).

The bill establishes a minimum age for operating ATVs, off-road motorcycles and snowmobiles. It also requires operators to wear helmets and be registered.

"This bill will hold negligent users or owners accountable and help reduce the bad practices that harm individuals and children," said Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth.

According to the National Trauma Data Bank, more than 77 percent of ATV injuries and deaths involved children under the age of 14. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found a 33-percent increase in all ATV-related injuries since 2001.

Dr. Peter Masiakos, a trauma surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, said the bill "would undoubtedly save the lives of many children and stem the tide of the preventable and costly pediatric brain injuries."

The legislation prohibits anyone under 14 from operating an ATV, unless it is for a sanctioned race supervised by adults over 18. It also establishes penalties and fines for reckless and negligent use, leaving the scene of an accident, and unauthorized use.

"This bill targets the unlawful use of snow and recreation vehicles through a comprehensive approach -- mandatory safety training, strict age and engine size restrictions for juvenile use, and the creation of new fines and penalties for those who choose to operate these machines without regard for public safety," said Sen. Steven Baddour, D-Methuen, Senate chairman of the Joint Committee on Transportation.

The bill also:

• Requires that a person between 14 and 16 years of age may only operate an ATV with an engine capacity up to 90 cubic centimeters, and such use must be directly supervised by someone over 18.
• Requires operators of recreation vehicles born after Jan. 1, 1991, to complete a vehicle safety and responsibility course.
• Prohibits possession of a loaded firearm, rifle or shotgun while riding on a recreation or snow vehicle.
• Establishes an Off-Highway Vehicle Program Fund that collects registration fees and revenues from fines and forfeitures to pay for law enforcement activities, land acquisition, trail maintenance and development, and the development of safety and training programs.

The bill now goes to the House.

After all, these are dangerous motor vehicles. If you need training and a license to drive a car, which has seat belts and air bags, you need training and a license to drive ATVs.

Currently, children as young as 10 can ride ATVs in Massachusetts. Although children from 10 to 14 must be supervised by a person 18 or older, what good is that if a 10-year-old is on a separate vehicle, approaching high speeds?

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons have recommended a ban on ATV drivers under age 16.

Cape legislators and public safety officials should immediately work to help pass this bill in the House.

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Source: http://dailyme.com/story/2010020300002074/editorial-safer-off-roading.html

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