Children under 16 required to wear helmets when riding ATVs

Nic Corbett

At least three children in the Big Bend were hurt while riding all-terrain vehicles in less than two weeks. Although children under the age of 16 are required by law to wear a helmet and eye protection when riding ATVs, only one of the children injured did so, according to reports from the Florida Highway Patrol.

A state law that took effect in July also requires children under 16 to take an off-highway vehicle safety course if they’re riding on public land.

Sgt. Lonnie Seay, head of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office traffic-homicide unit, said violating the law can lead to a ticket, not to mention putting children’s safety at risk. Seay had other recommendations for making sure children are safe while riding four-wheelers.

“The major thing is children under 16 shouldn’t be unsupervised riding ATVs,” Seay said. “They should be supervised in some form by an adult, and they should ride an ATV that is appropriate to them. Where we see a lot of crashes, the ATV is too powerful or too big for a child to handle. They make smaller ATVs for children for that specific reason.”

The first incident occurred Christmas Eve. A 7-year-old child driving an ATV in Perry was critically injured when the ATV hit a small tree and overturned on its side. FHP didn’t release the child’s name.

Then on New Year’s Eve, a 12-year-old child named Autumn Lamb suffered minor injuries when she crashed a four-wheeler in Monticello. Autumn’s grandmother, Sue Lamb, said Autumn was told to stay on the track laid out for four-wheelers but she didn’t listen.

“She’s doing good,” Lamb said. “She just pulled a few muscles. They released her that afternoon.”

The next day, a 10-year-old named Alexander Michael Clark was riding an ATV driven by his father, Paul Lynn Clark, 38, in Monticello when his father lost control. The ATV overturned and father and son were thrown from it. Alexander, who was wearing a helmet, suffered minor injures. Clark, who was not, was listed in serious condition, according to an FHP report.

The Clarks were riding on Chinquapin Road, while the other children were driving their ATVs on private property.

Seay said people are not allowed to ride ATVs on public roadways. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, ATVs are difficult to control on paved roads and crashing into a car can be deadly. Seay also recommends that people driving ATVs not carry a passenger if the ATV is not designed for two people. Most are meant for one person.

Source: http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20090104/BREAKINGNEWS/90103012

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