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New York State Senate Raises Allowable Age to Receive ATV safety Certification from 10 to 14 Years Old New York Senate Raises Minimum ATV Certification from 10 to 14 Years Old

By Jonah Weintraub

New York passed an amendment last week
that raised the minimum age to earn an ATV safety certificate from 10 to 14 years old. But Rick Hardman,
the owner of North Syracuse, lawn and Snow, thinks the state is fighting a problem that doesn’t exist.

What does a ten year old belong on a public trail? Some ten year olds probably. But as a rule, the machine that’s sized appropriately for them isn’t fast enough to be used safely on a public. There could be a such a thing is going to slow. The times I’ve ridden, I can’t count on one hand that I’ve seen ten year olds on ATVs.

It’s important to note that this new amendment only applies to public trails in the state of New York. So anything an ATV rider does on their private property is fair game.

And it’s for that reason that Hartman doesn’t think the new law will really change that much, including his business.

Most, if not every one I sell to, they have a they have ten acres of land or their uncle’s got a farm and they bring the kids there and they play.

So for Hartman, ensuring safety starts at home rather than the Senate.

So yeah, the law is not going to hurt. They think it’s going to reduce injuries. I think most of those injuries happen on private property anyway. So it boils down to parental supervision, training, not putting a child on something that’s too big for them too fast. Just so you can say he can do it.

Jonah Weintraub NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Last week, the New York State Senate announced that it had passed a new law to raise the minimum ATV safety certification from 10 to 14 years old.

The decision was made based on a series of “recent serious accidents and fatalities involving minors.” ATV use among young children has also been discouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

When asked about the new amendment, Rick Hardman, owner of North Syracuse Lawn & Snow (which sells ATVs), says there are some complications. While he believes the Senate has good intentions, Hardman also says the problem might be misidentified.

“Does a 10-year-old belong on a public trail? Some 10-year-olds, probably,” Hardman said. “But as a rule, the machine that’s sized appropriately for them isn’t fast enough to be used safely on a public trail (anyway). I can’t count on one hand the amount of 10-year-olds I’ve seen on ATVs.”

Another essential caveat of the new amendment is that it can only be applied to public trails. Or, more simply put, any rider can do what they please with their ATV on their own property. Hardman pointed to that factor as the reason why he doesn’t see the law changing much for ATV owners or his sales.

“Most if not everyone I sell to, they have 10 acres of land, or their uncle has a farm, and they bring their kids there and play,” Hardman stated.

So, though Hardman does not fault the Senate for trying to address a legitimate safety concern, he is wary about the way in which it is being executed. Hardman thinks the best way to help eliminate ATV injuries and fatalities among children is for parents/guardians to ensure the machinery is being taught correctly at home.

“A law’s not going to hurt,” Hardman said. “They think it’s going to reduce injuries. I think most of those injuries happen on private property anyway. So, it boils down to parental supervision, training, not putting on something that’s too big for them – too fast – just to say he/she can do it.”

Ultimately, all parties involved – parents, dealers, politicians – are in favor of safety for their children. However, the different, competing factors involved in the process have brought about different opinions regarding the path toward that goal.

In 2017, just 12% of all ATV fatalities were children under the age of 16. However, 56% of those children were under 12.

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