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OPINIONS
Larry Sarver: ATV riders just need to follow laws, safety recommendations
In two days there were two articles concerning ATV accidents. I am writing this to defend riding ATVs.
You are always reading how dangerous they are and how they are killing our children. Guess what -- an ATV has never killed anyone. It's the result of the ATV rider. I ride with a group of guys all year. I would guess in the last five years, we have logged more than 60,000 miles with no injuries or fatal accidents. We all wear boots, gloves, goggles and helmets.
The Legislature has been arguing this ATV issue for years. You can't fix stupid. I wish they would list all the facts about an ATV accident. I suspect the number of riders who have been drinking, operating the ATV without proper safety equipment or were riding at a high rate of speed would account for nearly all the accidents. Unfortunately, these factors are never brought up.
Why would someone let a 12-year-old operate a 700-pound vehicle that could go 60 mph? Where are the parents?
During our rides, we are constantly seeing people riding with no helmets, people with several kids as passengers on one ATV and, worse yet, we see people driving with one hand steering the ATV and holding a beer with the other hand. How irresponsible can you get?
Don't give others the opportunity to put limits or laws in place that tell us how to operate our ATVs. Obey the existing laws and use common sense. Ride on approved trails at a safe speed with your safety equipment and enjoy the outdoors.
Larry Sarver is a resident of Hurricane, W.Va.
