Parents need to step up to ensure youth using ATVs safely, says Bay Roberts mayor

The mayor of Bay Roberts says parents and guardians need to be more accountable when it comes to ensuring youth are using all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in a safe and responsible way

'It certainly starts with the parents because they're the ones that are supplying the ATVs to their young people."- Philip Wood

Philip Wood's comments come after a 13-year-old girl died in an ATV accident earlier this month in Bonavista. 

Police later said the ATV rollover was likely caused by driver inexperience.

Parents giving access

At a recent Bay Roberts town council meeting, the local enforcement officer gave a presentation on ATV safety, which highlighted the need for better awareness — especially when it comes to how youth get access to ATVs.

"It certainly starts in the home and it certainly starts with the parents because they're the ones that are supplying the ATVs to their young people," Wood told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show.

"The bottom line is if they're lending these and if they're using ATVs as sort of a babysitter or a means of entertainment for their children, they have to own up to it and say, 'it's my responsibility to know where my children or, or my grandchildren are.'"

The legal age to operate an ATV in Newfoundland and Labrador is 16, but Wood said the town office gets regular calls about underage youth unsafely driving quads, trikes and side-by-sides around Bay Roberts.

He also personally sees ATVs being used on highways on public roads by young people, and says unsafe practices such as the vehicles being driven too fast after dark is quite common. While it's always been a problem in the area, Wood said the Bonavista death was a big wake up call for the town.

"It's time for everyone – town councils, residents and parents – to take a very serious look at this situation," he said.

Town working on awareness campaign

Wood said council is already looking at launching some education programs to be presented to local youth in their schools, but that there will also be a component for adults too. The town is working with Safety NL, the RCMP and school officials on the campaign.

With ATVs being bigger and much more powerful than the ones that were around 10 or 20 years ago, Wood said it's time for parents to realize the great responsibility they are handing off to their kids when they pass over the keys to a quad or side-by-side.

"Young people that are still in junior high, or high school, they're certainly not coming up with the kind of money needed to purchase these themselves," he said.

"I'm sure the parents say 'be safe' and that kind of stuff. But I think parents have to ask the question late at night, and even in the middle of the day, 'where are you going? Have you got your helmet on?'"