Does an idyllic childhood in the country have to involve quads?
For Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan farmer Julie-Anne Howe and other safety-minded parents, the answer is no.
On allowing her children to ride quads, she said, “It’s just not a smart decision in my world.”
Most jurisdictions do not restrict children from operating quads or all-terrain vehicles on private land, but many farm families are already making the smart choice to keep their kids off quads until they’re old enough to drive.
Howe and her husband, Kelly, have both lost friends to quad accidents, so the family is especially sensitive to the dangers of ATVs. “We were both raised on farms and farm safety is important. We err on the side of caution,” Howe said.
It is a sentiment echoed by Southern Alberta farmer and pediatric nurse Sarah Schultz, who operates a grain farm with her husband, Jay, east of Calgary.
In the operating room, Schultz has attended to children of all ages seriously injured in ATV accidents. The experience strengthened her resolve to keep her boys, currently 5- and 2-years-old, away from ATVs until they’re old enough to get a driver’s licence.
In a September 2014 blog post on the subject, she wrote, “I might not be a cool farm mom … but this is something I will not budge on.” In fact, the family doesn’t even own an ATV.
Schultz said, “My husband grew up a farm kid and generally farm kids are allowed to operate motor vehicles earlier than urban kids. But my husband also knows the injuries I’ve seen from ATV accidents, so he lets me win on this issue in our home.”
March 14 to 20 is National Farm Safety Week. Why not take some time today to review the facts about ATVs and make sure everyone in the family is using them safely?
Concerns about kids, quads
Like bicycles, motorcycles and snowmobiles, ATVs are designed to be controlled in part by the rider’s shifting body weight, front and back and side to side.
That means that safe operation of an ATV requires a combination of skill, good judgement, physical weight and strength.
While ATVs might seem deceptively stable and easy to operate, before the age of 16, most children and youth are not physically or developmentally ready to ride ATVs safely.
About passengers
ATV seats might seem large enough to take on a passenger, but most ATVs are designed for single riders only. It is not wise to modify an ATV with after-market passenger seats or other implements that will change the weight distribution and stability of the machine, increasing the likelihood of tip-over and rollover accidents.
