The Tragedy Of 4-Wheelers

The death of another local child in a 4-wheeler crash occurred recently. The child lost control, the 4-wheeler flipped, the 4-wheeler landed on the child, and the child died from multiple crush injuries and/or injuries to the head. This type of tragedy happens with alarming regularity.

I can probably count 8 to 10 children, teenagers and adults that I personally know who have been killed or seriously injured in 4-wheeler crashes.

Parents and their children don’t seem to understand how dangerous these machines truly are. Many are inherently unstable due to the way they are designed. They have short and narrow wheelbases and a high center of gravity. When you add speed, a sharp turning radius, and an unsupervised child looking for the same adventure they see in television commercials, you have a recipe for disaster.

These vehicles are not toys. They are big, heavy, very fast, and give the false impression they can be driven safely over virtually any terrain or any object at any speed. And, parents seem to forget they are dealing with children. Children tend to become bored quickly with doing things safely. Children want fun and adventure. In my opinion, you might as well allow a child to play with a loaded gun.

3-wheelers were notoriously dangerous. They are no longer manufactured because they were just too dangerous. Adding a fourth wheel helped, but it didn’t solve all the problems. People seem to believe these vehicles are safe because the government doesn’t prohibit the sale of them. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Please don’t allow your child to become a casualty.