HELP - I need some facts.

[.:01_eXrIdEr:.]

My dad wants me to quit racing, I race in the C class on a 400ex. I have been riding for 4 years and I have only raced once. My dad came upon an article put out by the press saying how ATVs are dangerous and kill children, which I know is a problem. My whole family rides, my dad on a sportsman 700, my brother and mom both on ranchers. After reading the article my dad decides that I can't race any more. I tried telling him it was unfair because he lets my little brother play football, basketball, soccer, and baseball. I only want to do one thing, and that is have fun and race my quad. I know it isn't my place to tell him what I will or won't do because he was the one that bought the quad so he has say over what I can or can't do on it. I just need some facts. The article was talking about how many people a year die in ATV related accidents, and I need to find out how many people die or get injured in Football, Baseball, Basketball, or Soccer. I just want to put up a somewhat valid argument towards him so he will see my point. What should I say to him to make him understand me.

[LTandRaptorider]

Well, the facts are those sports, with the possible exception of baseball, are more dangerous than ATV racing. But a worried parent may not be interested in those facts, rather more interested in your well-being. Don't push him on it, and he may change his mind.

[2001400ex]

Show him the strict guidelines you have to follow before you race, and all the equipment that is mandatory you wear, that might help him think otherwise...?

[TheFontMaster]

I got the same problem with people that think skateboarding is so dangerous. I had a thing that said what the injery rates were for all sports and football, soccer, basketball, etc were way higher than skating, and I know they would be much higher than quad acidents. And all the safety gear will help keep you safe too.

Well tell your parents most kids who get in these accident weren't wears full face mask helmets and approved riding gear.....kids ona big heavy polaris are gonna get hurt when they try to floor it around a corner....prove to them your responsible by going nice and slow around them and not doing any type of wheelies or anything.

[Ralph]

tell him most of the atv related deaths are from kids not being supervised and not waering helmets etc.

Oh yea...after my parents saw the time for kids article on atv accidents they made me write this little promise saying anythingthat happens to me is my fault and not theres for letting me drive my atv so they wouldn't feel bad fo rthe rest of there life....i didn't mind it one bit after i read the article....just shows they love me...

[RMX500]

Tell your dad this -

The vast majority of ATV related injuries and almost ALL serious ATV injuries are a result of

1. alcohol use while riding

2. reckless riding

3. not wearing a helmet

4. stunting

Sanctioned ATV racing is as safe as a game of hockey.

[MOFO]

Originally posted by RMX500
Tell your dad this -

The vast majority of ATV related injuries and almost ALL serious ATV injuries are a result of

1. alcohol use while riding

2. reckless riding

3. not wearing a helmet

4. stunting

Sanctioned ATV racing is as safe as a game of hockey.


exactly.... most if not all articles like this tend to leave these facts out.

[JOEX]

Originally posted by RMX500
Tell your dad this -

The vast majority of ATV related injuries and almost ALL serious ATV injuries are a result of

1. alcohol use while riding

2. reckless riding

3. not wearing a helmet

4. stunting

Sanctioned ATV racing is as safe as a game of hockey.
One more thing...

Inexperience....

[RMX500]

hey man if you like I could even write your pappy a letter on behalf of my riders club to encourage his support for your sport.

[.:01_eXrIdEr:.]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I am going to let him think about it and I will see how it goes once he goes through his little phase. I was supposed to race this weekend, but I guess I will just pass on that so I don't push my luck. I am a safe rider, I have never crashed on my 400 (knock on wood), and I feel I am very responsible. I have a job, I got a scholarship to a University, I do good in school, and I appreciate everything I have, and I know it is a privelege for me even to be able to ride in general, I just wish my dad would see that this is really the one thing I want to do before I go off to college, because I know I will probably not have time to race during college. Thanks for all the replies, you guys are a big help.

-Drew

[QuAdEr 317]

tell him you always ride responsibily and with cauiton n the people who die r usually under the influence thats my .2 cents;)

[300exOH]

I'm guessing more people have died riding trails than racing. You are 10 times more likely to die in a car than riding an atv and wearing proper safety gear. Life's too short to worry about every possible way you could get hurt. You could spend your whole life in a padded room and end up with cancer or something. Hopefully your dad changes his mind. You can't shield your kids from every danger or they'll never have fun. Good luck.

[zephead400ex]

Originally posted by 300exOH
You could spend your whole life in a padded room and end up with cancer or something.

Right on man!

Originally posted by .:01_eXrIdEr:.
My dad came upon an article put out by the press saying how ATVs are dangerous and kill children,

??? åtvs dont kill people the people riding kill themselves if therebeing ignorant. You cant think like that when you ride. Thats all bad press from the media

[wilkin250r]

Yeah. Don't push the "the risks are just as bad in other sports" angle. It may not hold water.

Instead, focus on the dangers of ATVs. Riding double, riding without a helmet, inexperience, intoxication. And show how you follow strict guidelines in racing to reduce risks by eliminating these factors. (assuming that you don't race while drunk)

You can also try pointing out the bias in these articles. If a person went riding on a motorcycle, drunk, without a helmet, and got in a crash, everybody would say that he got just what he deserved by being stupid. But if it happens on an ATV, it's a dangerous machine.

[.:01_eXrIdEr:.]

Thanks for all the input guys, my dad thought it over and he is going to let me race this sunday, but the only problem is i broke off the long bolt that holds on my oil filter cover.:mad: :mad: so i am deciding whether i should race or not, i have the other bolt drenched in loctite, and i have already raced one race with it like that. do you think i will have to buy a new engine case?

[Rebelrider4OOex]

the think i dont really understand is.........your dad still gona let u and your whole family trial rideand stuff like u ually do when u arent racing right? well trail riding can be as bad if not worst beacuse there could ber washouts,trees,hiden bumbes.roots and all that other stuff that u could hit while flying down a trrial or even hit a tree coming around the corner .......aleast on a track u know u dont gota worry about trees in ur way (inless u go off track) and washouts and u knoq what your going into

[hessianmx111]

Like somebody said earlier, almost all deaths that occur while riding an atv or motorcycle happens because they were riding over there head and trying stuff they shouldnt have, not wearing a helmet,or drugs were involved. Just try to reason with him and explain to him all the fun you get out of racing and explain to him that races are for the most part a pretty safe riding environment. However accidents do happen, i dont know how many of you know this but in the san diego round of the thq supercross a privateer by the name of Jason Ciarletta died after being caught up going into the first turn , instead of turning he was forced to keep going straight caught air off of the berm went into a nosedive and his rear tire hit him in the back of the head, he died of blunt trauma to the head, there were tons of trained medical staff around and they said if it happened in a trauma center there was no way he would have been saved:( but this was also the first death in the 31 years of supercross and it was just a bad accident that had a bad outcome. So just reason with your dad and try to show him that you know the dangers involved and you will not ride above your skill level and it is very likely he will let you to continue to race.

[xr50layke]

iv never let my parents tell me what i can and cannot do when it comes to safety because they both smoke :rolleyes: and your worried about my safety..pffft. wheres the race at! if im gonna die on my quad, so be it, its better than getting shot or something. at least im in school and dont do drugs. worry about a bigger issue, like getting better sleep at night.