Comment on ATV Riding: It’s Bad on so Many Levels
This is a comment left responding to Lloyd Alter’s “ATVs: Destroying the Climate and Environment for Fun“, posted on Treehugger.com. Lloyd, I completely agree!
Recreational ATVs are horrid. I am an ER physician near Pismo Beach, CA, where thousands of campers and ATV riders flock every weekend, spewing fumes, tearing up the beach and dunes, and getting injured regularly, sometimes severely or fatally. We have people killed every year, a 4 year old was run over just last month, a 21 year old girl is now a permanent quadriplegic, plus hundreds of broken bones and lacerations per season. Many ATVers also put their small children on these motorized deathtraps and have them ride around in the midst of thousands of other high-speed motorists, some of whom are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
What ever happened to human-powered recreation? It’s much more rewarding when you hike or ride your bike to the top of a mountain, rather than being artificially propelled while wasting fossil fuel, polluting, and ripping up the landscape. Along similar lines, sometimes when we go surfing along the coast,jetskiiers will obliviously and obnoxiously choke us with their exhaust in their quest for speed and bigger air over the waves. The dolphins that often play in those waves are nowhere to be seen on these days, driven off by the noise, fumes, and oil slicks floating on the water. Human-powered recreation is healthier, less dangerous, and has much less environmental impact than the motorized equivalent. To make matters worse, the average person that uses these vehicles has little to no regard for the environment in the first place, driving jacked-up trucks and towing huge “toy-haulers” for hundreds of miles so that they can “camp” in RVs and use tons ofpre-packaged food and disposable utensils (leaving a great deal behind on the beach). The same people that will argue that it has minimal impact and is safe, are the same people that think it is a good idea to drive a Hummer around town, or go to the grocery store in an Escalade.
And yes, I know that hikers, climbers, and mountain bikers effect the local environment as well, but as with everything else, there is a continuum of effect with responsible hikers and bikers being relatively low on the scale, and ATV and motorcycle riders causing much more impact.
If I was looking for a way to waste fuel, destroy wildlife habitat, get minimal actual exercise while exposing myself and my family to as dangerous a situation as possible, all under the pretense of “being outdoors”, it sounds like the perfect family vacation.
Edit: Here’s an article published 3/11/10 in Healthday describing the significant injuries from ATVs, particularly in children. Also, here is the ATV Safety page from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. It states the following:
- All ATV operators should be licensed and undergo a hands-on training course. According to the CPSC, inexperienced drivers in their first month of using an ATV have 13 times the average risk of injury.
- The minimum age for operating an ATV on or off the road should be at least 16 years old.
- ATVs should be used during daylight hours only.
- ATVs should be used by only one person at a time, no riders.
The S.E.E.P. 
December 19, 2007 at 10:26 pm
I would like to see a continuation of the topic
February 20, 2008 at 2:56 am
Ignorance is the mother of all F-ups…. and this article is one big lame generalization from an obviously ignorant point of view. Saying ATVs are death traps is totally not a responsible notion. They are less dangerous than cars and most contact sports. Saying they are not exercise is more ignorance, as professional ATV and motocross racers are some of the fittest athletes on the world. This writer pens from a point of ignorance, and thus this article it totally worthless….
February 20, 2008 at 11:15 am
Actually, it is not an ignorant viewpoint, it’s a well-informed professional viewpoint. ATVs can be relatively safe under certain circumstances with proper instruction, but to say that it is safer than most contact sports is a gross misuse of statistical data. There are clearly more injuries overall in most contact sports than ATV riding, but if you look at injuries per population and severity, you’ll find that ATV riders have a higher chance injury as well as more severe injuries. As far as exercise goes, you are correct in that professional ATV and motocross racers are in excellent shape. However, I’m talking about the “weekend warriors” that ride when they take the family to the dunes a few times over the summer. In this sense, it’s preposterous to think that you or your child are getting more exercise riding a quad than pedaling a bicycle.
We haven’t even started discussing the environmental repercussions of this “sport”, between the gluttonous fuel consumption, the emissions, as well as the impact on the dunes and surrounding wildlife.
February 24, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I am someone who drives a jacked up truck and a 4-wheeler but i am very conservative when it comes to protecting the environment. Yea my truck is jacked up, but due to some of the roads around my grandmas farm i had to either jack it up and put bigger tires or sell it and buy a 4 wheel drive. This truck is actually really fuel efficient because i bought it in high school with a 4cyl to help save money on fuel, I usally get 25-27 mpg on the road. And as for my 4 wheeler I choose a 1985 honda fourtrax that I found not running under a friends barn. 4 wheelers may not be very clean when it comes to polluting the air, but heres how i see it. Say i bought a new 4wheeler for 8 grand instead of fixing this one just the inital harm to the environment for production is propably alot more than me riding my wheeler for years. And my 4wheel is alot simplier than the new ones, it has no electronics and the only fluids it has is oil. Now i don’t just ride this 4 wheeler just to ride it. I use it to do my chores, i will only use about 2 gallons of gas every week and a half on it and it get over 60mpg on it. Seems more efficient to use than my truck. So no i don’t waste fuel. And about destroying habitat, well my land in managed, by that I mean i plant certain plant and put out corn to help breed a healthy population of deer rabits squrils hogs…etc. So Atvs can be a better alternative sometimes, in fact if they were street legal and everyone drove them we would not be having a fuel consumption crisis.
February 24, 2008 at 11:47 pm
oh yea my friend has a hummer and it is sweet. He gets about 11mpg but let me tell you its a real chick magnet especially when you pull up to the clubs. So Dr. if your having trouble with the ladies i would prescribe an H2.
February 25, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I completely agree that there is a place for trucks and ATVs on the farm and for certain applications. It is perfectly reasonable and practical to use these types of vehicles as you describe. My problem is with the irresponsible and recreational use of these vehicles causing direct damage to flora and fauna, releases unfiltered exhaust into the air, and you wouldn’t believe how many children and adults are injured when they’re trying to jump or fly around the dunes like the professionals they see on TV.
As for the H2, I never had a problem with the ladies, through my Geo Prizm, Nissan Sentra, or Honda Element in the past, my wife is gorgeous, plus my veggie oil-powered 4wd Vanagon turns more heads than any Hummer. I clearly wouldn’t be interested in a woman who was into an H2 – our value systems would be way too far off.
February 26, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Do we really need the government to tell us how to live our lives?
February 26, 2008 at 6:50 pm
You are correct – we shouldn’t need the government to tell us what to do, but the fact is that we do. If everyone always did what was right to preserve human rights, the environment, and the community banded together to make sure that everyone had food, shelter, and healthcare, we wouldn’t need the rules, limitations, or laws of our government. That is the whole basis behind socialist or anarchist type governments – everybody does the right thing for the greater good. Unfortunately, this has been tried and history has shown that human nature does not allow such a society to succeed. Greed, power struggles, apathy, and discontent keep people from playing by “the rules” or lack thereof, and these truly free political constructs, which should lead to a society where everyone is well taken care of and have significant freedom, fall to corruption and are destined to failure.
The truth is, with the information we have regarding the future effects of climate change and the recreational exhaust from these vehicles, the prediction that peak oil is as little as 7 years out which will lead to skyrocketing fuel prices and mass shortages, the collective healthcare costs associated with these activities, as well as the local destruction of habitat, people should be able to make the choice that it is wrong. That the fun derived from the activity is not worth all of the negatives associated with it. We shouldn’t need government to tell us that, we should figure it out for ourselves.
February 29, 2008 at 6:47 am
i ride atvs everywhere and im going to ride in all your yards for the fun of it.
August 25, 2008 at 9:35 pm
No one is forced to risk their lives, it’s a choice. People have the potential to get hurt in any sport or recreational activity. Parents who place their kid in pop-warner football or even soccer know there is a chance for injury. People jump out of planes for the thrilll of if and nothing more, (they actually pay to do this) knowing dam well that if the chute doesnt open, its a wrap!
ATV’s are tiny little 200, 300, 450 cc motors maybe some that are a little bigger. And those “Jacked up trucks” usually stay off until the weekend is over and people are ready to leave.
You wanna worry about pollution? go after large manufacturing plants or the 100’s of 1000’s of 18-wheelers that idle at truck stops wasting fuel without moving anywhere. There are ton’s of Race events world wide that add to the polution. I dont think its fair to attack a 4 mile stretch of beach or its weekend inhabbitants for major pollution problems or accidents. its happening everywhere.
Plus these people bring business to the area. Pismo is TINY! im sure the local business owers would be THRILLED if YOU had your way and all the “WEEKEND WARRIORS” would suddenly stop showing up and spending money at their establishments. Stop Whining, your not winning any sympathy
August 25, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Well, egg,
For one, there hasn’t been a bit of whining in any of my above arguments, just reasonable discussion. Granted, ATVs have smaller motors, but most do not have any type of catalytic converter, and therefore pollute relatively more than a regular car. As far as injuries go, you can’t even begin to compare the percentage and severity of injuries between pop-warner football and ATV riding. Although people can get injured in any sporting event, adding 30+mph and 300 lbs to the fray adds an incredible amount of risk to riding ATVs – let me know when you’ve had to try to comfort a parent when their child was killed or severely injured on an ATV, I can tell you from experience – it’s horrible.
I also completely agree with you that there are much bigger pollution fish to fry as well, like coal-fired power plants, chemical and fertilizer manufacturers, NASCAR races, etc, the list is very long. However, energy waste and pollution needs to be combated at all levels, not just the big offenders. The “drop in the bucket” argument is a weak one. Just because other companies and other people are wasting more or polluting more than another individual, does not make it excusable to do the same thing at a lower level. Every person’s effort to make this planet more sustainable is important, every small action adds up to become big ones.
Please try to be part of the solution.
October 14, 2008 at 3:57 am
After reading this blog i have get information about atv. ATV’s can be so much bad many levels thanks for great information.
October 27, 2008 at 11:03 am
I ride atvs. I will always ride them. you can not solve them problem buy raising the riding age or prohibiting use in total. It all depends on the rider’s skill and attitude towards his or her surrounds. They may not be seen as clean, but my atv gets 65 miles to the gallon, it is quieter than most lawn mowers, and i have never had an accident nor have any of my friends. You can talk all you want about how bad they are, but they are used for farming, recuse and police work. So if you don’t anything positive to add to your article, then you have no business talking what so ever until you explore the subject more.
November 6, 2008 at 10:01 pm
If you read the comment stream above, you’ll see that I agree with you in some respects. ATVs do have a legitimate place with farm and rescue work. However, as a recreational vehicle, they are simply dangerous and a waste of fuel and emissions. Despite the relative efficiency of these vehicles, many do not have catalytic converters and therefore pollute as much if not more than a less efficient highway vehicle. I understand that you’re defending an enjoyed recreational past-time, but the time has come to re-evaluate our resource use. Motorized recreation is unsustainable, polluting, and destructive to the environment, and without a doubt dangerous to those riding them.
December 7, 2008 at 2:11 pm
As an ATV enthusiast and an ATV safety instructor I find the generalizations made in this blog to be completely offensive. ATVs are no different than motorcycles in that you have to LEARN to ride them. The vast majority of ATV accidents are caused by improper use of the vehicle. You can’t blame rider stupidity on the machine. If you chose to operate an ATV stupidly and you get hurt, no one is at fault but you.
I’ve been riding ATVs since 1984 and have never broken a bone while riging one. I DID break bones while doing other activities: An arm on the playground in elementary school and three ribs while playing tug-of-war while I was in the Army. I suppose we should ban playgrounds now?
Also, claiming pollution from ATVs is causing problems is simply another ploy to turn the non-ATV riding public against ATVs in general. True, the ATV engine has few emissions control systems. However, modern ATVs are becoming cleaner with each new generation. My current ATV is electronically fuel injected and burns much leaner and cleaner than old carburated machines.
How many of the people who have responded above own and operate lawnmowers? I hate to break it to you, but your mower spews considerably more pollutants than most modern ATVs. I may be polluting in the name of fun, but you are polluting in the name of vanity. Considering the fact than lawnmower owners outnumber ATV owners by millions, I’d say that the folks who cry foul so often over my form of recreation should be more worried about thier neighbors immaculately manicured lawn. Those people are polluting every city and town in the country. They also continually dump harsh chemicals onto their lawns in order to stifle the growth of the natural plant life in their yard(weeds) and dump fertilizer onto their planted non-native grasses which eventually seeps into the soil and groundwater. That’s not even taking into account the huge tracts of forest land that were leveled to build those neighborhoods, forest land that could have contained an ATV trail for me to enjoy the once beautiful scenery.
I’ve discovered that most self-proclaimed “environmentalists” only support protecting the environment if it doesn’t inconvenience their little slice of the planet. As long as it affects someone else’s rights and not their own, they are willing to fight for their cause.
December 8, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Chad,
While I do very much appreciate those ATV riders such as yourself that enjoy your activities safely, the hard fact is that recreational use of fossil-fueled vehicles needs to become a thing of the past. Despite improvements in emissions controls on these small vehicles, it comes down to the fact that peak oil is coming, and with it fuel will become more and more precious, and emissions will become more and more regulated. We all need to look at our energy use and our personal carbon footprints – we will fly less, drive less, choose alternative fuels or energy sources for our vehicles, and we will choose healthy recreational activities that use less fossil fuels, meaning less jetskiing, RVing, snowmobiling, ATV riding, and the like.
I also agree that many people do indeed “talk the talk” without “walking the walk” and can be very hypocritical and I’m completely with you regarding the “immaculate American lawn” concept and the incredible amount of resources and chemicals it takes to maintain something with no productive value whatsoever. As for us, we swapped out the gas-powered lawnmower for a hand mower, then got rid of that when we covered all of the grass with gardens and permaculture to grow our own food. We run our vehicles on used vegetable oil and homemade biodiesel, have solar panels for our home, and strive to live and teach by example.
Every American needs to put aside their assumptions and their egos and make personal changes that will make them part of the solution rather than part of the problem. ATV riding for recreation, 4WD off-roading, and other activities like this using fossil fuels, no matter how safe you are, are simply unsustainable.
December 9, 2008 at 11:59 pm
us not our fault u cant ride stupid tre hugger
February 5, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Dude, before you argue with someone, i think you might want to check your spelling.
December 10, 2008 at 12:28 am
A very mature and productive comment, ATV rider, demonstrating your mastery of the English language.
Alas, you are correct, I am indeed a non-ATV riding treehugger, something I’m rather proud of! I’d give you a run for your money on a road bike or a mountain bike, but that would require you actually pedaling!!
December 10, 2008 at 7:27 am
theseep,
I truly appreciate the civility of you reply to my comments above. It’s rare to find someone willing to carry on an intelligent conversation in discussions like this one.
Believe it or not, there are a growing number of ATV riders out there who actually share your views., including myself. Many of us are outdoor enthusiasts and enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities other than just riding an ATV. I spend a great deal of time hiking, backpacking and mountain biking in some of the same areas where I ride my ATV, as do others.
We spend a great deal of time maintaining our trails and riding areas to minimize impact on the environment. If we destroy our own areas, they eventually get shut down and we have nowhere to ride. Lack of riding areas is one of the problems that has led to overuse of the few areas we do have and even illegal use of some other areas, causing us further problems. In the same manner that hikers, mountain bikers and other users of forest lands must work to minimize their impact on the areas they enjoy, many of us work very hard to do the same.
There are even a growing number of us who are experimenting with alternative fuels. E-85 and even straight methanol have shown great promise as a reasonable solution. Sport quad riders have even discovered that E-85 gives a significant power increase due to the extremely high octane rating. The major problems so far are much the same as you’ll find with these fuels in automotive applications, poor fuel economy and the destructive nature of methanol on fuel system components. Bad mileage is not good when your tank only holds a couple of gallons to begin with, especially considering the fact that the whole point of an ATV is to get you miles away from civilization.
If we truly want to make a difference in taking care of our quickly disappearing natural lands, it’s time that we all stop bickering among one another and start working together for a common good. We don’t have to like each other, we just have to agree that our resources need to be protected. Some people who have more extreme views will not be happy, but there is common ground in the middle that could very well allow a positive working relationship. If we spent as much time working toward a common goal as we do attacking one another, there’s no telling what we could accomplish.
For the record, the truck used to get my ATVs to the areas where I ride is powered by waste veggie oil and much of the former grassed areas of my yard have been replaced with mosses and other plants that require fewer resources to maintain.
December 10, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Thanks Chad,
I also appreciate a civil discussion, unfortunately many ATV riders (actually many people in general) can’t get past the ego and emotion of these issues and have a reasonable exchange of ideas rather than insults. Nice work on the veggie oil truck! Check out our vegfalia blog – the VO-powered Vanagon if you have a chance.
As an outdoor enthusiast as well, I recognize that my climbing has an impact on the denizens of the rock, and I recognize that my mountain biking can cause erosion and an impact on trails and surrounding wildlife. ATVs, by virtue of size alone cause more impact, but when ridden responsibly on designated trails, isn’t really much worse than mountain biking with the exception of emissions. Unfortunately, here at the Pismo dunes, there aren’t any trails per se, so riding there impacts the entire dunes ecosystem. Add in alcohol, lack of safety practices, kids on inappropriately sized vehicles and the like, and we’ve got a problem. The alternative fuel options are better if they work, but might not be ready for prime time in the ATV industry. I don’t know if you’ve seen the electric ATVs that are starting to come out, but that might be a way to reasonably decrease the impact of the sport, pretty exciting!
Thanks again
December 10, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Who ever passed this person to become a doctor your dumb. The person/”Doctor” that wrote this…..Dip Shit!
December 10, 2008 at 6:46 pm
And, futher more, if you want to save the earth and trees, wipe your ass with an owl and boycott. Four-wheelin’ is all i have.
December 10, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Jesse,
Insults and name-calling is unnecessary and unproductive. If ATV riding is all you have, I’d implore you to look at other recreation with less impact. If you must continue to ride, then consider using alternative fuels or an electric vehicle and please use the proper safety equipment and be careful.
p.s. – Before you call someone dumb, make sure you get your contractions and grammar correct, it decreases the credibility of your statement. The proper statement would be “you’re dumb”, as this is a contraction of “you are dumb”.
December 24, 2008 at 11:07 am
Jesse,
December 24, 2008 at 11:07 am
Jesse,
December 24, 2008 at 11:25 am
Sorry, those last two coments were from me. I acidentilly hit enter. But more to the point, Jesse the way you tlak about theseep is just plain stupid. Like i said before i am an avid atv rider and so are my friends and family, but what theseep says does have some truth to it. Now i may not see eye to eye with him on certain areas of the subject, but i have had arguements with people who don’t have much info to back up what they are saying about atvs and they are the most ignorant people there are. Not to mention the biggest pains in the ass you will wever encouinter. The injuries caused by atvs are caused by the fact that sadly there are too many stupid people in the world and you can’t put the blame on an atv because it is an inanamate object and is totaly controlled by its driver. And as for the destruction of property aspect, that happens with anything. Believe me when i say i have hike on trails that had 2ft gullies in the and were not kept up at all. The trails for atvs that people don’t like are the ones that are ghost trails and are not maintained by any sort of club to keep them passible. Atv clubs don’t want to destroy the land, that doesn’t make anyone happy and they no that. We atv riders are out riding because we love the out doors just as much as you. My friends and i have never chased or harassed wildlife or people because it’s that sort of behavior that gives us a bad name. So Jesse, what you said is stupid and its people like you that make us riders look bad. So i agree with thseep in saying it’s just plain unnecessary. I will continue to ride for my entire life, but i know that everyone ios entitled tio their own opinion on certain issues.
P.S. That was pretty funny how you busted Jesse’s ass on grammar. But i shouldn’t talk because i suck at spellling.
December 24, 2008 at 11:30 am
Also, you say that atvs polute more due to the fact that they have no catyletic converts (know i didn’t spell that write). But do you think it would be practicle to put a catyletic converter on something like a garden tractor or lawn mower? Because thats seems like the same concept and personally i don’t think it is necessary, but i understand what you are saying and you do have a point.
February 16, 2009 at 6:11 pm
How can you honestly think that such a small piece of machine puts out the same amount of pollutants as a high flying airplane, or how about those high tech race cars, or even the place at which you are employed… Maybe you should really do some research Dr. Clint Slaughter. These ATVs don’t hold a candle to half the rest of the above mentioned examples. I know your going to say “how does my place of employment come into play?” well… What about the factories that make the blocks, the machines it took to build the trusses and the dozers it took to excavate the land. I may be only 19 and in college, but at least i can see where a simple ATV should be the least of your worries. Why not try to save some farm land. Where I’m from all the land is being sold to build small subdivisions, or build a huge shopping mall and I’m 15 min. out of town! Honestly Doc, I think some current research would help you understand the rest of our positions. The only conclusion I can justly make is that a) your just a cranky man, b) you have nothing better to do, or c) your jealous of the time many people get to spend with their families that you don’t get to. And I’m pretty sure it is probably the last one….
February 16, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Sorry Fox, but it’s none of the above. I am not cranky, I have plenty of things to do including working full-time in an ER, getting a Master’s of Public Health to help work for social justice, sitting on the board of an environmental non-profit group, working on our home to become as sustainable as possible, and yes, spending time with my family.
I never said that ATVs were the cause of all of our woes, they are but one in a chain of many unsustainable activities. I completely agree that saving agricultural land and open space is imperative and smart growth of communities should be a priority for all cities and towns. We are actively working on preserving these resources in our county. I also agree that we need to work towards sustainable building materials and practices. I find it hard to believe that you see the value in these types of initiatives but fail to see the problem with fossil fuel powered vehicles, especially those used purely for recreation.
You can’t pick and choose what you want to make sustainable or not, you must realize that everything we do and everything we consume is at least a small part of the problem. You seem to have some good insight on parts of the issue, but you need to step back a bit from your infatuation towards ATVs and you’ll get the bigger picture.
March 12, 2009 at 9:32 am
This is the most ignorant article that I have ever read in my life. You are so mis-informed. Please do not choke when you eat your pine cones!
March 18, 2009 at 1:19 am
Please, illuminate me on my ignorance. I will certainly listen if you can present a logical and educated argument on how ATVs do not unnecessarily damage wildlife, increase erosion, cause pollution, and cause significant and frequent injuries that can lead to permanent disability and death. I see it in the emergency department every weekend.
March 31, 2009 at 7:05 am
Operation of ATVs is very limited in the state of Massachusetts. The state officials want you to register your vehicle and only use it on your land and state approved trails. There are a lot of problems with that. There are only trails out towards Western Mass. and there aren’t very many. So for the people that live towards the Boston area, they are at a loss of use and their money. Why register a vehicle when you have to travel Miles and pay hundreds of dollars on gas money? Many people register because they truly enjoy the sport and feel that is the only way. Even many people from western Mass. sell their vehicles to save money on repairs, gas, and space. A lot of ATV users ride illegally, meaning that they do not go to the state trails, rather make their own on public land. Due to this many people get bothered and complain about people riding ATVs. The riders would not do this if they had a place to ride and use their vehicles that they paid their hard-earned money on. Environmentalists are very much against ATVs. ATVs aren’t necessarily bad for the environment it is simply the people who operate them. Majority of users insist on adding loud exhaust systems and adding large aggressive tires. Many manufactures of these vehicles stress the words “Tread Lightly.” If Massachusetts and or DCR open more Riding areas, people would not feel like they would have to ride on unauthorized areas and such. As for the pollution that they make, it is very limited. The can be very clean if you maintain them. As for 2-stroke engines in ATVs, they are pretty bad for the environment. When you don’t take care of your vehicle and the oil gets dirty and such is where the problems really start happening. If you blow the O-ring (Part necessary) your vehicle will burn the oil and spew it out the exhaust. So if you maintain it correctly things like that won’t happen. I personally love the environment. Whenever I am out riding I always stop and enjoy my surroundings.
April 1, 2009 at 6:46 am
Well i better strip down my hybrid and ride it around the backyard.
April 13, 2009 at 9:17 am
Sorry to say, and yes, tihis is just a value judgement, but my impressions with ATV’s in West Virginia and Pennsylvania are invariably negative. Their noise which can echoes for miles in a wild area, seriously intrudes the quality of an outdoor hiking experience. Please not the lack of symmetry here – I’m not intruding on their recreational activities, but they are intruding on mine. The erosion and ruts are ugly and cause erosion and stream sediment pollution in sensitive environments.
They incresingly intrude in federal wilderness area like the Dolly Sods and Roaring Plains – an illegal activity, but one which the understaffed Mongahela National Forest staff is helpless to effecively enforce.
My hang gliding club also has a hang gliding launch site near Pittsburgh on private land owned by one of the members who doesn’t look over the property as well as we’d like.
The area setting up and launching the gliders used to be a park-like grassy clearing in the woods, but then the “quad” riders invaded; it is now a ugly, beer cans strewn area of bare mud and rutted mudholes. We try signs – “no vehicles beyond this point” and barricades, but nothing stops them. Apparently, parking their infernal machines and walking 300 feet to the brow or the bluff to take in the view is too much work for them – or maybe it is is considered an intrusion on their right to use an internal combustion engine anywhere they feel like – even on someone elses land.
I attempted to re-establish grass on a portion of the bare area last weekend, but found that the quad traffic has packed the soil down so hard it could barely be scratched with a rake. I did the best I could, and put up a sign “Seeded – No Vehicles” with a row of logs for a barricade. If it is still there next weekend, my faith in you quad riders might be restored a bit.
June 11, 2009 at 4:51 am
PJD, it does suck that you have to deal with asshole riders. Like i said above i am an atv rider and i always will be, but i do know that for our sport to gain acceptance, we must be willing to accept others wishes to stay off their property. Not all riders are jerks who throw their trash everywhere. Where i rider such things are not tolerated because the atv associations know this is a bad image.
June 24, 2009 at 9:46 pm
There are a couple problems that I’ve spotted with this article and the ensuing discourse. First of all, the sweeping generalities are worthy of Fox News. I’m pretty sure there are a lot of quotes that could be reused by the KKK if you just substituted “Black people” for “ATV riders.” You can’t lump all riders into one category and give them the nature crushing redneck personality. We riders come in all shapes and sizes and all spectrums of environmental friendliness, just like your average fork and spoon user.
The next problem is the lack of factual data to support some of the claims made. Please find some accurate statistics to lend proof to your arguments. As an example, what are the emissions of the standard uncatalyzed ATV? What is the chemical makeup of the exhaust and how does it compare in harmfulness and quantity from the exhaust of your average car, diesel truck, lawnmower or flatulent cow? What are the injury and fatality statistics of ATVs? How do the annual statistics compare with other activities such as driving, sports, horseback riding and dog ownership? What is the annual fuel consumption for an ATV and how does that compare with other fuel burning engines? What are the leading causes of endangerment of certain species and where are ATVs on that list?
There are a few other things that weren’t taken into account. It is a wrongful assumption that riding an ATV isn’t a physical activity. Try riding one for a day, and the next morning you may discover muscles you didn’t know you had. Also, it is very possible to ride through the woods without harming the environment. Try it sometime. Consider that trees love CO2 emissions. Remember, they inhale CO2 and exhale O2, that’s why trees and other plants are so important. Consider also that the ATV is just another animal in the forest. The forest is home to the ATV and whether the rider realizes it or not, there is good reason to fight for forest preservation because of that.
Now with all that considered, I can understand if some ATVs can be a little bothersome, but in the grand scheme of things, are they really that much of a villain? Isn’t there some other harm to the environment that would be less of a waste of time, energy and argument? Can’t we work on deforestation, lawnmowers, or LA traffic first? Figure that out. In the mean time, I’m going to continue to ride my ATV at least a couple times a month and when I’m not doing that, I’ll be hypermiling my 91 Civic (I’m getting well over 40mpg without the use of one of those harmful hybrid batteries).
September 29, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I think you are full of shit and you need to get laid and get off your rich ass and go have some fun Bitch
February 10, 2010 at 10:39 pm
i dont think its that bad, there many other vehicles wich spit out much more dirt…. k, sometimes there are stupid drivers wich destroy the floor… but the new generation atvs and quads dont have that high co2 output
August 16, 2011 at 7:41 am
LOVE this! Thank you for such a great, creative idea!
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