Myth # 432: peace and quiet of the country

Battle over deaf camp noise continues
HUMPHREY— During a meeting aimed at reaching an understanding between sport racing enthusiasts and cottage-country neighbours on Tuesday it became clear Seguin Township council will have to force any...

In an ongoing battle over whether the Ontario Camp of the Deaf can continue to provide its track as a fundraising venue for off-road motorized sports, more than 100 people filled a room above the Humphrey rink – angry delegates who want to put a stop to the sounds of engines at the camp, and angry Deaf Camp supporters who want neighbouring property owners to leave the camp alone.  "

Between year-round construction work, boats, chainsaws, hunting in the fall, PWCs and boatings roaring by, cottage country is anything but quiet these days.

I'm just sayin'!

Anyone with an expectation of quiet, peace and solitude are just dreaming.

Last day's post shows the damage to the forest land, where 4-wheels drive on snowmobile trails, cleverly created for them(?). Here are a couple more photos of what they do to the land in spring melt.

They rip up the landscape, leave behind pollution, as do the snowmobiles and PWCs.
Those in Humphrey will have to determine if their goal is entertainment, or the preservation of quality of life in Muskoka. At the very least, they can supervise the kids on the vehicles, I suppose.





Three of my photos show the ATVs on Parry Sound streets, where they allowed them on town streets. But they are ubiquitous. And accidents tolls are increasing.

All-TerrainVehicles(ATVs) andChildren'sSafety.PDF

3 Aug 2009 ... and accidents. Statistics from Canadian studies demonstrate the clear threat ATVs pose to the health and safety of children.

The AMA, quoting a 2006 study in the Journal of Paediatric Surgery, found that nearly 50% of all ATV-related injuries, and over 35% of ATV-related deaths are suffered by kids under 16 years of age.

ATVs accounted for 28% of fatalities for those under after 16.


There were 5,585 Emergency Department visits, during 2005-2006, by young males ages 15 - 19: the highest rate of visits of any age group. Us-data: between 2000 and 2004, 58,254 hospitalizations, 30% of which involved kids under age 18.

Makes you think, doesn't it? Unsupervised kids, on powerful machines, zipping around backroads. Injuries include: extremity fractures, head injury, facial trauma, contusions, abrasions and lacerations. Carrying passengers increased the destabilization of the ATV, and increases the risk of unjury and death.

ATV statistics are alarming - Timmins Daily Press - Ontario, CA

The story, written by The Canadian Press, points out that deaths from ATV accidents have almost doubled in 2007, from 12 to 23. 

Alcohol use, speed and not wearing a helmet were factors in nine of the 23 fatal ATV accidents that have occurred in 2007. All families should read this before letting a kid loose in the country:

ATV Manual.PDF - Quick View

Why ATV Safety? Rather than providing a list of statistics of ATV-related injuries and deaths, here are some observations based on recent ATV accidents.

The OMA recommends: 
• That children under the age of 14, not be permitted to operate all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) of any size within the province of Ontario;
• That youth aged 14 to 16 be permitted to ride only power-restricted vehicles that cannot exceed 30 km/hour;
• That any person between the ages of 14 and 18 wanting to operate an ATV, be required to first obtain an all-terrain vehicle learner’s permit, for which they must have permission and ongoing supervision of their parent or guardian;
• That the Ontario Ministry of Transportation investigate and publicly report on ways to enforce these ATV driver age restrictions.

References

American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Accident and Poison Prevention. All-terrain vehicles: two, three-, and four-wheeled unlicensed motorized vehicles. Pediatrics. 1987 Feb;79(2):306-8.

Canadian Paediatric Society, Accident Prevention Committee. Two-, three- and four-wheel unlicensed off-road vehicles. CMAJ. 1987 Jan 15;136(2):119-20.


Ontario Medical Association. OMA Position Paper: All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and Children’s Safety. Ont Med Rev 2009 Sept: 17-21.