Keep Your Children Safe! ATV’s Are For Adults.
Minnesota children are being seriously injured and killed on ATV’s and off-highway vehicles. Cory P. Whalen of the SiebenCarey law firm continues to represent children and families harmed by the illegal operation of such vehicles.
The most common type of injury cause involves the ATV flipping or rolling. When this happens, an ATV driver and passenger can be thrown from the vehicle, or even pinned down by it. Many people don’t realize that, in general, ATVs are not designed to carry passengers in the back. Doing so can put both passengers and the vehicle operator at an increased risk for an accident.
Because children often lack the physical strength, cognitive abilities, and fine motor skills to operate ATVs properly, their risk for injury is greater than that of adults. Studies have found that adolescent and teenage ATV riders have more severe injuries and more head injuries than any other age group. In Minnesota, a person under the age of 15 is not allowed to operate a class 2 all-terrain vehicle (ATV). A class 2 ATV has a total width greater than 50 inches but no more than 65 inches from outside of tire rim to outside of tire rim. Children can go through a safety course and obtain an ATV Safety Certification and can then legally operate an ATV under certain circumstances when accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Keep your children safe. Don’t allow illegal usage of an ATV. It may seem harmless while up at the cabin enjoying a long weekend. Yet, the consequences can be dire.
Call Cory P. Whalen with questions regarding your legal rights arising from an ATV accident.
