Georgia Injury Law Blog
ATV manufacturers make much of the fact that their vehicles are not “recommended” for children below the age of 16. They recommend that children only drive smaller-sized ATVs. They might want to send a memo to some of their dealers, however. An investigation by CBS Early Show found that many dealers see no harm in pushing sales of ATVs, even when they know that the vehicle will be operated by a child below the age of 16.
The CBS investigation found that five out of every ten dealers were willing to sell ATVs to undercover investigators posing as consumers, even when they were made aware that these all-terrain vehicles would be operated by a below-16 year old. In fact, one dealer in the exposé actually persuaded the “parents” to buy a large-sized ATV for their child, because he would be bored of a small-sized ATV within a week.
To Atlanta accident lawyers, these findings are very disturbing for two reasons –
Parents are not always aware of what size ATV to buy for their child, or what kind of safety precautions to take when their children ride these vehicles. They are more likely to depend on a dealer’s recommendations.
The second major cause of concern is that summer is when many children will be riding these ATVs. That means a heightened risk of ATV accidents through the next month.
It’s very important that parents be aware of some basics of ATV safety.
· Your child should not be riding an adult-sized ATV if he/she is below 16 years of age.
· For a child of 16, a small-sized ATV is the best option.
· Make sure that your child undergoes a safety training program before he rides even the small-sized ATV.
· Your child is must be under adult supervision at all times when he’s riding an ATV.