Post by Wyldcomfort on Mar 9, 2007 22:55:01 GMT -5
This will be short and sweet - I am burried with all kinds of new information - We have the Consumer Product Safety spreadsheet....in will be a few days before I get on board - great news is the amount of data - bad news is getting all the codes down. We are also getting the info from Oregon. The eight deaths they referred to was including to age 18. Considering Safekids mission statement is for kids to 14 and that is the age catagory they compare other causes, Consumer Product info goes to 16, all news articles refer to 16, and SB 49 only encompases kids to 16 it seems a twist on the information. I don't feel good about the relationship with Safekids and the State of Oregon. Essentially the person in charge of the non-profit Safekids is also in charge of keeping the statistics for the State of Oregon. She also happens to be the one who said there were eight kids in 2005 that died. She also made reference that adult supervision would not have saved Kyle. This really bothers me because she has all the information - remember she is the states keeper of it.....and he had no trauma...none.... There would have been three ways that supervision could have saved Kyle... First, a parent could have prevented the accident in controling speed and terrain... Second, if by chance it still happened she could have pushed the bike off of him and Third, if she was unable to physically remove the bike she could have run the 90 yards (or even screamed for help) to the neighbor man who eventually pushed the bike off and started CPR (over an hour later). He wasn't injured.... just impinged. I will enclose her comment highlighted in red so you can see why I would be upset with these connections. How can we be sure the information we are getting - in this case not getting - is accurate. Why do we have a state employee so involved with Lobbying and supplying information. Anyone out there care to explain how the State can have a non-profit connection with this kind of relationship. Everyone I call to request information from refers me back to Addreine Greene. I have called several times without a response. And why when given the opportunity to address the importance of supervision would she respond as she did? It just doesn't seem right. It seems there is no check or balance...How is Safekids funded here and who pays Addriene Greene??
Had a great talk with Parks today. We need to show up and express our concerns on Monday. He was very nice and hopefully we will have a longstanding relationship in the future. Great things can happen if we are all on the same team. I expressed serious concern over the age thing. Basically they are going by the OSU recommendation from their study. We need to push hard against this, hard for best fit no age restriction, and polish up on a few other things. They welcome our involvement and together we can really get a handle on this situation. I told him we are writing legislation and applying for a grant. He liked the idea of having Safetyride(us) being a big part of the picture. Monday is important so if you can make it great. I will focus on getting loaded for bear over the weekend.... We will have the numbers to contradict the age restrictions. Have a wonderful weekend...Lindy
Here is the news article with Ms. Greenes quote:
Lawmakers aim to curb ATV use for kids
By AARON CLARK
SALEM, Ore.
Children accustomed to zipping up the hills of Oregon on their all-terrain vehicles might be traveling significantly slower soon, and some might not be moving at all if some lawmakers have their way.
A new bill under consideration in the Senate would ban children under 12 from riding ATVs and limit 12- to 15-year olds to riding ATVs with smaller engines.
ATV enthusiasts say Oregon already has sufficient safety regulations and the legislation would hurt a burgeoning industry. But backers of the bill say the off-road vehicles are dangerous and that young children are particularly vulnerable.
"Currently, Oregon has very lenient ATV operator rules," said Sen. Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin, one of the bill's sponsors. "As ATV-ing becomes a more popular sport the injury and death rate continues to rise ... I believe that regulations are necessary in order to protect children from unnecessary death or injury."
The issue was highlighted at a rally outside the Capitol on Tuesday, where opponents said the bill was misguided and further regulation was not necessary. Child safety, they argued, was a matter of parental supervision.
"Our whole family rides on ATVs, including our three children," said Linda Minten, a mother who spoke at the rally that was attended by about 100 people. "We're concerned this legislation will not only cut into our family recreation time but might also hamper our ability to do farm work."
The new bill would require 12- to 15-year olds to ride 90-cc ATVs that are much less powerful and not as fast as adult ATVs, which can weigh hundreds of pounds and reach speeds of 70 mph.
Backers of the proposed restrictions cited the case of Kyle Rabe, a 10-year-old Central Oregon boy killed in 2002 when his adult-sized ATV flipped over and rolled on top of him.
Adrienne Greene, coordinator of the advocacy group Safe Kids Oregon, said it's unlikely a watchful parent could have saved Rabe.
"Can you push a 600-pound ATV off of your kid? I don't know how supervision could protect your child from a rollover," Greene said.
According to Safe Kids Oregon, eight children in the state died from ATV use in 2005. And, the group said, medical bills reached $50 million between 2000 and 2005 for people injured in ATV-related accidents in Oregon.
But the activity also injects millions of dollars into local businesses that cater to ATV riders and the state government. According to an Oregon State University report, off-highway vehicle recreation contributed an estimated $120 million and 1,809 jobs to Oregon's economy in 1999. In 2006, Oregon State Parks generated over $800,000 through issuing ATV permits.
Rich Burkholder, the owner of Spinreel Dunebuggy and ATV Rental which has rented vehicles for Oregon's famous coastal sand dunes since 1961, says the legislation is misguided.
"If legislators want to decrease accidents and injuries, they need to spend the money on doing safety programs and make it mandatory for kids -- teach them how to ride." Burkholder said.
Had a great talk with Parks today. We need to show up and express our concerns on Monday. He was very nice and hopefully we will have a longstanding relationship in the future. Great things can happen if we are all on the same team. I expressed serious concern over the age thing. Basically they are going by the OSU recommendation from their study. We need to push hard against this, hard for best fit no age restriction, and polish up on a few other things. They welcome our involvement and together we can really get a handle on this situation. I told him we are writing legislation and applying for a grant. He liked the idea of having Safetyride(us) being a big part of the picture. Monday is important so if you can make it great. I will focus on getting loaded for bear over the weekend.... We will have the numbers to contradict the age restrictions. Have a wonderful weekend...Lindy
Here is the news article with Ms. Greenes quote:
Lawmakers aim to curb ATV use for kids
By AARON CLARK
SALEM, Ore.
Children accustomed to zipping up the hills of Oregon on their all-terrain vehicles might be traveling significantly slower soon, and some might not be moving at all if some lawmakers have their way.
A new bill under consideration in the Senate would ban children under 12 from riding ATVs and limit 12- to 15-year olds to riding ATVs with smaller engines.
ATV enthusiasts say Oregon already has sufficient safety regulations and the legislation would hurt a burgeoning industry. But backers of the bill say the off-road vehicles are dangerous and that young children are particularly vulnerable.
"Currently, Oregon has very lenient ATV operator rules," said Sen. Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin, one of the bill's sponsors. "As ATV-ing becomes a more popular sport the injury and death rate continues to rise ... I believe that regulations are necessary in order to protect children from unnecessary death or injury."
The issue was highlighted at a rally outside the Capitol on Tuesday, where opponents said the bill was misguided and further regulation was not necessary. Child safety, they argued, was a matter of parental supervision.
"Our whole family rides on ATVs, including our three children," said Linda Minten, a mother who spoke at the rally that was attended by about 100 people. "We're concerned this legislation will not only cut into our family recreation time but might also hamper our ability to do farm work."
The new bill would require 12- to 15-year olds to ride 90-cc ATVs that are much less powerful and not as fast as adult ATVs, which can weigh hundreds of pounds and reach speeds of 70 mph.
Backers of the proposed restrictions cited the case of Kyle Rabe, a 10-year-old Central Oregon boy killed in 2002 when his adult-sized ATV flipped over and rolled on top of him.
Adrienne Greene, coordinator of the advocacy group Safe Kids Oregon, said it's unlikely a watchful parent could have saved Rabe.
"Can you push a 600-pound ATV off of your kid? I don't know how supervision could protect your child from a rollover," Greene said.
According to Safe Kids Oregon, eight children in the state died from ATV use in 2005. And, the group said, medical bills reached $50 million between 2000 and 2005 for people injured in ATV-related accidents in Oregon.
But the activity also injects millions of dollars into local businesses that cater to ATV riders and the state government. According to an Oregon State University report, off-highway vehicle recreation contributed an estimated $120 million and 1,809 jobs to Oregon's economy in 1999. In 2006, Oregon State Parks generated over $800,000 through issuing ATV permits.
Rich Burkholder, the owner of Spinreel Dunebuggy and ATV Rental which has rented vehicles for Oregon's famous coastal sand dunes since 1961, says the legislation is misguided.
"If legislators want to decrease accidents and injuries, they need to spend the money on doing safety programs and make it mandatory for kids -- teach them how to ride." Burkholder said.