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The In Box blog is a general news and discussion site for the News Department of North Country Public Radio. In Box contact information 
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The In Box blog is a general news and discussion site for the News Department of North Country Public Radio. In Box contact information
Latest NCPR News
Yea, I’ll stick my neck out and comment.
It should be illegal for anyone who doesn’t have a drivers license to operate an ATV.
Perhaps if children caught driving ATVs were prevented from getting a drivers license until they are 21, the use would stop.
We have to many parents who shouldn’t be parents.
It shows up in education and it shows up in the stupidness they let, even encourage their children to do.
Thy are not toys. Correction. They are toys for adults.
If you have your child in an automobile without a seatbelt, you can be charged with endangering a child. yet, you can let that same child ride a machine capable of going 60 or 70 mph and not be charged. I’m just sayin’ …
We wouldn’t have to keep talking about it if people would stop allowing their children to play with adult toys.
Yeah, and if wishes were horses…
What are the current NYS rules for riding an ATV? I admit ignorance on this so I won’t say much. Our kids have friends who have them and ride them and our children are 10 and 7 but they have those smaller ones. Regardless the rule for our family is sorry no you can’t ride one right now. But this is more than just atv’s how about snowmobiles etc?
Unfortunately, the reporting of this incident is incomplete. While I do not know the ATV safety laws in NY, I do know the CPSC ATV Safety Guidelines and it appears the boy’s Uncle did not adhere to them.
#1 No helmet. (This sad fact was reported.)
#2 What was the size of the ATV? (They do make kid size ATVs for 10 year olds.)
#3 Was the boy supervised by an adult. (Children under 16 should be supervised when operating ATVs.)
If the responsible adult had been supervising, as the property owner, he should have been in a position to advise the 10-year-old boy about the wire fence before the ride began.
While I have great sympathy for the family’s loss, if any of the above criteria were not adhered to, this child’s death was preventable and the responsible adult needs to be held accountable. Not merely to punish someone, but to get the word out that this behavior will not be tolerated.
Now, before someone jumps in and points out that one of the CPSC guidelines (ATV sizes for children) is obsolete, I agree. But, if this child was on an adult size ATV, no 10-year-old has the physical strength or maturity to handle such a machine. Sadly, there are far to many grave stones for kids that prove me right on this topic.
So, obey the CPSC ATV Safety Guidelines and keep this from happening to another child!
More laws or even outright banning isn’t going to solve the problem. Dan hit the nail on the head. RESPONSIBILITY rests with the parent. The truly sad part is they probably had nothing but the best of intentions. Now these poor people will have to live with this tragedy. My thoughts and prayers go out to them.
Unfortunately, Brett, we all know what road is paved with good intentions.
Whether it’s talking or texting while driving, or careless use of “toys” such as ATVs, no one ever believes bad things are gonna happen to them until they do; it’s always the other guy.
Well I like having some rules it helps me explain what is allowed and not allowed to my children and why, I don’t ride ATV’s so I don’t know much about them; however as I said if your family lives here your kids will know families that indeed use ATV’s/ so thanks for posting those.
Evidently the parents were not even around, as it happened on the uncle’s land. Thus the uncle is the responsible adult who should be supervising the 10 yo child. The uncle should be prosecuted under the full extent of the laws and expand the laws to make them much more strict! Raise the age allowable to 21.
According to AP, the accident was in Antwerp in Jefferson County. The kid was from Moira which is in northern Franklin County.
What a tragedy. I feel very bad for everyone involved including the uncle. He was just trying to let the kid have some fun.
A tragedy that never should have happened.
It’s the parents’/guardian’s responsibility first to supervise and teach children safety and courtesy on the road. But why aren’t laws being enforced successfully? Are the laws inadequate or is enforcement inadequate? I really hate to speak ill of our law enforcement. I think they do a terrific job on a shoestring, but my feeling is that education is the best prevention, and on the road enforcement is the best educator. Probably the resources given to the enforcers are inadequate, and I *love* to speak ill of Albany, but that’s another paragraph or 10.
Anyway, I live three miles up a seasonal road in the north country, right on the Ohio Ridge Riders’ trail. If I may share my observations…
– Many riders do not stay on trails where they are available, and instead ride in the road. Many trespass on private roads (can be dangerous — weird people live out here to be weird in peace, and they have weird stuff in their woods).
– Many do not obey traffic laws when they are in the road.
– Many are so young that I would not expect them to know traffic laws.
– Many do not wear helmets. Most do.
– In addition to litter, I’ve made over $14 picking up beer cans along a single three mile stretch. That’s about 300 cans, and I’ve lived here less than five years. I know many kids come out here to drink and get high. Everyone knows it.
Kids couldn’t get away any of this stuff if they’re given proper instruction and supervision. I never see anyone up here doing anything about it, parents or police. I often see small children without helmets, on full-size ATVs, alone, or any combination of the three. My mother nearly hit a solo child that was speeding by our blind driveway last year. She said he swerved and could barely steer on the gravel, and his feet were swinging, they couldn’t reach the… running boards, or whatever is down there (I don’t ride myself). Last month they finally posted a speed limit for ATVs, but only a handful obey it. I know it’s fun, but… a modicum of safety and courtesy is important for everyone on the road.
The snowmobilers aren’t nearly as bad, I think because they have the club. I have NEVER seen a child alone or unsupervised on a snowmobile.
Al, it’s rather difficult to catch a speeding ATV, snowmobile or jet ski in a police car. That’s the biggest reason there isn’t more enforcement done.
I think it is comes down to what is socially acceptable.
When we see a 10 year old with no helmet speeding down a public road unsupervised do we call Child protective services and make a report of neglect? Probably not, I probably would say well that is a family matter and many families do allow that and that is their problem. But if I saw them beating their child or giving them beer I would indeed report them to DSS, so in that way children riding adult ATV’s is socially acceptable. Until that changes this won’t change.
Indeed this is a tragedy. It’s a shame you have post on this before the funeral even takes place.
yes it is a tradgy for the family but the kid shouldnt have road the atv at 8pm and unsuprivised and no helment….. but my regards to the whole family….
Deb, time is of the essence! How many young children (who should NOT be on these vehicles) have to die senselessly, before society steps in? We grieve for the parents especially as they evidently were not even around and even the uncle (he certainly must be devastated), but these posts are to get US to wake up!
Let’s re-examine the laws dealing with these deadly vehicles (including jet skis and snowmobiles): what’s the minimum age allowed to operate or even ride on, do the laws hold the guardians responsible, can CPS get involved (including removing children), if these laws are broken are they misdemeanors or felonies (i believe they should be felony),etc.?
Obviously, allowing parents to monitor their children isn’t working. Therefore, society MUST step in and protect these children – yes children! A 10 year old is a child and in this day and age of video games which they all play, in their young minds, reality and games blur and suddenly they try something they’ve done on a video game with a real vehicle and….
Someone said in an earlier post about needing a driver’s license for a car at 16; well, do you think maybe it’s time to do that for all these life threatening vehicles? Please people wake up, our children, His children are dying, who is to blame?
The last time I saw David, the boy that died, his father was teaching him to mow the lawn. They were together, walking. I went intot the store ( the parents own the bulk food store in our town), and when I came out, father and son were still at it- quietly, slowly working. I appreciated the father’s quiet patience, and thought how much that kind of parenting is needed. David had a sweet spirit, bright eyes, worked in the store, had his little sibling hanging off him. I don’t know what happened in St. Lawrence county the night he died, but I know the carefulness he was cherished with at home. The firstborn- beloved- shouldn’t have happened, but his parents are great.
I don’t believe anyone is blaming the parents or uncle Jill. No one wants something like this to happen to any family. The discussion is more as to where the responsibility for these types of accidents lays. Whether it’s an ATV, jet ski, trampoline, swimming pool or sports death there are always some who feel no one bears responsibility, some who place responsibility on the adult that should have been supervising, others that feel responsibility can be mandated by law and still others who think outlawing an item is the only answer. It’s an old question.