Quads

[Lothlorien]

I'm probably going to get some backlash for this, I don't know. I think there is something inherently wrong with parents who let a 6 year old ride up and down our street, doing probably 35 mph on a quad. Most of the time, there is absolutely no parental supervision and I literally saw this kid, going on the sidewalk barely sideswipe one of our neighbors who was walking his 2 year old in a stroller.

There are two boys. One is 6 and the other is about 4. They are regularly unsupervised, while outside....in the front. Now, we live on a dead end street, but there no sign posting that and we frequently have people ride through, thinking they can cut through. We live off of a sub-main road.

Quads are all the rave now. There are probably 10 of them between my street and even the street behind me. In fact, we are thinking of putting a fence up along the back of our property, because the people who live behind us have quad/dirt bike trails and it scares me to death. There was a 6 year old girl who was killed, two weeks ago, by a quad driver.

Legally, these quads are only allowed on their property only. I'm uncomfortable calling the cops, though I know one neighbor did it last week (probably the guy who almost got sideswiped by the six year old) That didn't stop anything. They are all out there screaming up and down the street on these quads, as I type! At least one of the parents put a restrictor on one, so the girl can't go that fast, but honestly, I think these are terrribly dangerous and the parents are risking losing everything, if their kids seriously hurt someone, which I feel is emminent. If not, than someone who is innocently driving up our street is going to hit one of them. Still, I am seriously nervous as all H-ll about my kids getting hit by one of these kids. How can you possibly tell me that a 6, 9 or even an 11 year old can be so responsible to drive a quad up and down the street, when we've had a rash of teenage (legal) drivers dead on the streets of the town I live in, over the past year alone?

ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGG!!!!!!!

 

[Fran]

The idea that I would let my child carry the burden of hurting or killing someone on a quad is not something I would be proud of.
It would be an incredible pain to lose my own child but to see him suffer the rest of his life knowing he killed or hurt someone is a nightmare that I couldn't live with.

Guess the law says they should stay on their property and the laws should be observed.

 

[susiestar]

I also am of the opinion that kids shouldnt be on these things. We don't have a problem YET in my neighborhood, but we just got 3 new families moved in.

I also do not htink the kids should be in those motorized kiddy cars. I truly think it keeps them from the running around they should do, AND that they really do NOT need to be operating a vehicle that is moving. No matter what, they just are not old enough.

CPS takes a dim view of kids playing outside with-o parent supervision. Our next door neighbors let their 4yo AND 2yo play outside with no supervision. I called, because the 4yo refused to go home, seemed very scared. I sent her home anyway, Gma wouldn't come to the door to meet me. so I called because they have a POND, the kids are on the little motorized kiddy cars when they are outside ALONE, AND they run all over the neighborhood.

6 is different than 4 for playing outside, but I really think that the police AND child protection should take a look at this. It is very very unsafe.

And I agree with-Fran, I would be ashamed of myself if I let my child possibly have that guilt from hurting/killing another person. been there done that, bff's little bro hit someone right after he got his driver's license. The guilt is and was terrible. He was very suicidal for a long time. And THAT accident was NOT his fault. But the guilt was very much there.

Hugs, and I hope the kids are safe,

Susie

 

[klmno]

Pardon my ignorance, but what are quads? I've seen the motorized cars for little kids, motorized scooters, and, of course, dirt bikes- difficult child has never had any of these, but if there is a new trend I might as well prepare myself for the "begging".

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

Quads are like dirt bikes, but they have 4 wheels.

They are actually a lot of fun. You know. For adults.

To my knowledge, there are places to ride them and places that are restricted. If a motor vehicle does not have a headlight, it is not street legal, and therefore cannot be ridden on the street. At no time can a motor vehicle be driven on a sidewalk (I am unclear on the rules for those little kiddie cars; I believe lawns and sidewalks are OK, but I think they go about 1 MPH.) They have trails for things like dirt bikes and quads. I also was under the belief that quads were illegal under the age of 16.

Hmmm.

 

[witzend]

I'd videotape it and call CPS. I can see why the cops won't do anything - they have plenty to do already. But CPS is obligated to do something about it.

You're going to have a very long summer!

 

[Fran]

I think we are talking about 2 different types of quads.

One is a little kid toy that you can buy at Toys R Us. It's battery operated. One is an off road vehicle that is a very much an older person vehicle and not a toy. We have used them off roading in the mountains. You must be 16 with a driver's license. You must wear a helmet in New Mexico. I know I have seen off road tracks in Texas.

I'm assuming Loth is talking about the Toys R Us type quads.

 

[witzend]

I thought she was talking about the other type when she said that they had trails in the backwoods that they ride. Can you clarify, Loth?

 

[donna723]

Is a "quad" the same thing that we call a "4-Wheeler" here? If it is, they're certainly not street-legal anywhere even if ridden by an adult, much less a child! If they're riding them on the street or on the sidewalk, I'd call the police ... and keep calling the police every time until they put a stop to it! Why are the police not coming down on the parents who allow their kids to do this?

They sell a lot of them here, and they do make a size for children. But this is a very rural area and lots of families have acres and acres of land for them to ride on. And the dealers that sell them stress that the children should have lessons on how to ride them safely and that they should be used only with direct adult supervision. Not to say that they all do that but ... They are not made for very small children, more for kids that are at least 7 or 8, and they were never intended to be ridden down a city street or sidewalk. Why are these idiots buying them for their kids if they don't have a suitable place to ride them?

I don't believe that they are safe for any child to ride and I never would have gotten one for my own kids, even though we lived out in the country. When my daughter was in elementary school a boy in her class got one for Christmas. He lived with his grandparents and they had saved all year to buy it for him. He was riding it (too fast) on the school grounds, hit a hole in the ground, and the whole thing flipped over and landed on him. It broke his helmet and he ended up with brain damage and spinal cord injuries that left him completely paralyzed. He was ten years old! His elderly grandparents couldn't care for him and he spent the rest of his life in a nursing home and died of pneumonia at age 30, his whole young life wasted. I still cringe whenever I see a child riding one of those things, just thinking about what could happen!

 

[Fran]

Donna, I have seen "cowboys" using them on ranches with cattle and such. They are used as you say as working vehicles. Those aren't for kids or young teens that's for sure.
The 10yr old who has a life sentence in a nursing home is horrible.

 

[Hound dog]

Fran, I don't think Loth is talking about those ones at walmart. I don't think they'd fit a child that age, would they?

Any how, Darrin....Yes, my FOUR year old grandson has his own quad. A real one scaled down to his size. Not one bought at walmart, but one bought at a motorcycle shop.

And no, I don't like it one bit.

HOWEVER

I told both easy child and sister in law that Darrin was NOT getting on that thing without full padding and a HELMET that fit him properly.

To their credit, sister in law and easy child are responsible. Darrin is as protected as he can possibly be, so much so he can barely walk when not on what they refer to as the 4 wheeler. sister in law is always there supervising, plus they have the lock devise that doesn't let him go very fast. (no faster than a battery operated power wheel)

PLUS they only ride the 4 wheelers out in the middle of the country on flat land owned by sister in law's best friend. NEVER in town.

Loth I can't imagine! I'd be a nervous wreck. I like the idea of getting a video and sending it to cps. Eventually someone IS going to be seriously injured or killed.

And I'll repeat..... I HATE that Darrin has his own 4 wheeler to ride. But at least sister in law's Dad taught him how to be responsible about it.

sheesh!

 

[DammitJanet]

I hate quads! I would assume Loth is talking about the "real" ones and not the Walmart barbie type. We got Keyana a Dora the Explorer toddler quad for xmas but its a toy...she couldnt get hurt on it if she tried.

Now the real ones are a pain in our neck around here. They do ride them on the roads because they figure that they can zip back onto the side of the road if a cop comes along. They drive all over the place through fields and driveways. I finally resorted to putting up No trespassing signs and writing on them NO 4Wheelers allowed.

My boys begged for either a dirtbike or a 4wheeler for years but they never got one. I refused to allow them to kill themselves...at least with some item I bought them.

 

[donna723]

They use them for riding in the woods here and for getting around on a farm or rural property. They're good for people who raise cattle to get around in a big pasture. And they use them for hunting ... which is really stupid because the darned things make so much noise they would scare off any animal in a five mile radius!

The nephew of a good friend of mine was killed on a four-wheeler a few years ago. He went to high school with my son. He was riding on the river bottoms with some friends, went around a curve too fast, and was slung off of the thing. He collided with a tree and he died instantly. He was only seventeen years old.

 

[susiestar]

I am not sure about y'all's "barbie things" bought at Wal Mart, but even my SILtook my niece's back. It went WAY faster than 1 mph. It was far faster than anyone could keep her in sight, even an adult at a full run. The ones the kiddies here ride are from walmart, we each have 3/4 acre or more,and they can barely turn them in time to keep on their yard, they are always running over into mine (which I hate and have asked them not to do). The older one that one neighbor has is MUCH slower, more something an adult can go along with.

We haven't had anyone riding the faster quads around here. They are very dangerous. I am quite sure CPS would have a field day.

Lisa, I am glad that Darrin is being taught safety, as well as where and when to use his 4 wheeler.

Susie

 

[Star*]

Loth,

Apparently some parents in your neighborhood lack common sense. My x forced Dude to ride lots of 'fast' things when he was a baby - first 3 wheeler at 18 months (gas powered).

I thought it was dumb then and still do. I guess no one wants their kids to have anything to grow up for.

Sorry - I'd call CPS like Witz said. Unsupervised quad riding by anyone that young is not acceptable.

I'm sorry about the little girl that was killed. You would think your neighborhood would be calling the cops ALL the time after that.

Hugs

 

[witzend]

Those things are way too low to the ground to ride anywhere other than a flat unobscured area. A car coming around the corner would never see them.

 

[Lothlorien]

Yes, I am talking about the gas powered engine quads. My kid has a battery operated thing that goes put put around the yard and I have restrictions on that.

I called the police department and specifically asked what the laws were.....Basically, there aren't any laws. They are only allowed on their property only. There are dirt bike/quad parks in NJ and it is for kids 12 and up and the quads definitely have to be fitted and scaled for their size and weight or they aren't allowed on the trails. However, there is no law regarding 4,5 and 6 year olds from riding them (on their own property). The parents allow them to run up and down the street and on the sidewalks. Guess I'm going to have to write a bunch of letters and get this hounded down.

After writing this, the 4 year old ran into my son with his bicycle! The kid can't stop himself from running his bike into my son, but they will let him ride a quad?????? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[Shari]

Yikes. This is scarey.

We have quads (we call it 4wheelers - and even one so old its a 3 wheeler) that we use on the farm. My dad had 4 on his farm. They're great for that, but they're not toys by any means. Lately they've been showing up everywhere in tiny little 50cc models. The sticker says they're not for people under 16, but we're talking about a 50cc gas powered 4-wheel off road bike that is 24" tall. Yeah right that's being marketed to people over 16.

All the kids around us, including our own, drove the 3-and-4-wheelers growing up (farm life is different), but they were never just play toys and never were they allowed on their own until, like the cars, they proved they were ready to handle them. And they NEVER went on the roads.

And if they had taken them down a city street or SIDEWALK they still wouldn't be seeing light of day. Unbeleivable.

 

[Lothlorien]

You're right Shari, on a farm, it's much different and you were responsible in watching them. It's not farmland where I live, but one acre lots. It's insane!

The kid started out on a 24" one when he was four. Up and down the street with no supervision....on the sidewalk. Now he's six and he's driving one that is way too big for him. His 4 year old brother has inherited the 24" one now.

With all the lawsuits that go on, we are so paranoid about it. You'd think they'd be paranoid as well. I hope they have a huge insurance policy, because they are going to need it.

 

[klmno]

I think I would video tape it and send it to a few agencies- like press, cps, police- and make sure it includes the bumping into people, disruption of traffic, or whatever else.

Well, I guess that would be hard if it is your own neighbors you will have to live with-

There was a kid in our old neighborhood who would ride his bike erraticly through busy intersections and such. He was also vandalising mailboxes as he rode by them (intentionally running into them). I was concerned for his safety as well as the potential for causing a traffic accident. This kid was about 12 at the time, but still a kid, Know what I mean?? So, I decided I could not just sit there waiting and watching for the inevitable. I just went to the parents' front door and after asking the Mom if she knew where and what her son was doing at that very moment (of course she said, yes, he's just bike riding), I sternly expressed my concern about his safety and potential death and the possibility of causing injurious accidents to others and how it bothered me that much so I couldn't understand what kind of mother could sit at home and allow this to continue but since she could, I felt obligated to inform others. Then I left and went home. About 5 mins. later, her car went all through the neighborhood, son and Mom came home, and that boy rode responsibly after that, at least any time I saw him. He always shot me dirty looks, but I figure it could have saved his life and if my son was doing that, I would want to know.