Blame ATV scourge on parents

Written by Hattiesburg American

Monday, March 02, 2009

Robert Hayes

A recent story in the Hattiesburg American expressed concerns over ATV problems at the Forrest County Multi Purpose Center. Imagine that, teenagers acting irresponsibly on four wheelers.

And guess what? There are young people all over the Pine Belt illegally driving off-road vehicles on county roads, trespassing on private property, damaging public lands, creeks and wetlands.

But the real problem isn't teenagers out of control - although they are - it's the parents who buy these vehicles and look the other way as their children run amok. Far too many off-road enthusiasts are part of a dysfunctional culture that essentially views the world as their personal sandbox. These people have no concern for law, safety, private property, or the damage they cause.

What people do on their own property is their business, but the four-wheeler has become an issue because these renegades don't stay on their own property. What's surprising is our refusal to rein in this group, who have been out of control for years, and getting worse.

Deaths and injuries have doubled in the past decade and we're 13th in the nation in ATV deaths. Over a two-year period - 2006-07 - 46 Mississippians were killed riding off-road vehicles.

Who are the enablers for this irresponsible behavior? We could start with Gov. Haley Barbour, who led the buckle-up seat-belt crusade, but has nothing to say about injuries and deaths related to off-road vehicles. Our legislators also refuse to address this problem along with many county sheriffs and supervisors.

Last but not least are the parents who purchase these vehicles knowing their children will use them illegally and if left unsupervised, irresponsibly.

Off-road vehicles have become a nuisance because they have become on the road vehicles driven mostly by children and teen-agers. In some areas it's not unusual to see an individual, or groups of four-wheelers using county roads as a playground, or a racetrack, displaying little regard for their own safety or anyone else's.

This apparent "kids will be kids" behavior seems to generate little concern until the inevitable tragedy comes along and makes us confront a problem we would rather ignore.

Is there a point where injuries and death will finally arouse us from our apathy, or do we care? As long as we keep our eyes closed, it's amazing what we don't have to acknowledge. Two hundred and seventy-one ATV deaths in this state since 1982 and counting?

It seems likely that more young Mississippians will be injured, maybe paralyzed, or killed in ATV accidents this year. To those parents who will experience this pain and loss, what can we say? It's a hard pill to swallow, if your child ends up in a wheelchair or the grave, especially when any mirror in your home can bring you face to face with who's really responsible.

Source: http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20090302/OPINION01/903020323

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“Farmers as a group rarely tend to want more government regulation. But the growing problem of trespassing caused by illegal riders spurred our membership into action to pass common-sense visible identification and ORV enforcement measures. We are proud that we were able to work with rider groups to find a solution that all sides could agree to.”

- Christopher Henney, Director of Legislative Relations, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation