SouthCarolina SC Gov Action Alert

[gater0730]

I just ran across this in the latest AMA magazine. I thought that it might be important to my fellow SC riders.

UPDATE! All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Act Would Ban Youth ATV-Riding

On April 5, 2011, the House of Representatives approved legislation that would make it illegal for anyone less than 9 years of age to operate an ATV. Gov. Nikki Haley ® has indicated that she will sign the measure into law if it reaches her desk.

AMA members are encouraged to review the legislation and send a pre-written letter to their state Senator by visiting the “Rights” section of www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

The All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Act, also known as "Chandler's Law", would not only make it illegal for anyone under the age of 9 to operate an ATV. It would also place limits on the use of ATVs by anyone under the age of 16.

This legislation would have the state, which currently has no youth riding regulations in place, adopt a sweeping prohibition as its first effort to enhance youth motorized recreation safety. This action would not be fair to the families who recreate responsibly on ATVs.

Rather than a blanket prohibition, the AMA has asked state lawmakers to consider adopting a "size-fit" criterion for young riders and to focus on expanding youth ATV-safety training opportunities.

The House approved version of the ATV Safety Act (H3562) was sent to the Senate on April 5th it’s companion bill (S448) still resides in the Senate Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry.

http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Rights/IssuesLegislation.aspx

[MegaThumper]

This is only the first step in what they want to do...which includes requiring insurance and plates on all OHV's. In addition to not letting kids ride even correctly sized OHV's.

This has been tried for years but I think Sanford prevented it.

[RyanK]

Use this link http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Rights/IssuesLegislation.aspx and on the right side click on "Issues & Legislation" and then SC is near the top fo the list, click on the link.

This look like the BS they DID PASS in NC a couple years ago... Fortunatly it was killed for motorcycles and only applied to ATV's in NC. I'm sure they'll try hitting bikes as soon as they nix teh ATV's here in SC too. It seems the bikes have a bigger crowd that cares about the sport and makes their voice heard. Let's make sure we keep it this way in SC too!!!

[whipit1k]

I can't believe Nikki Haley things thgis is a good idea

[gater0730]

I'd like to thank a fellow SETRA member for the following update regarding this proposed legislation.

The link to it is here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2011/05/08/3049530/a-watered-down-atv-bill.html

Here's what is being discussed in a synopsis: The bill would make it illegal for children 5 or younger to operate an ATV, requires that children ages 6 to 15 take a safety course before operating an ATV and requires children 6 to 15 to wear helmets while operating an ATV. Anyone driving an ATV on public land must be accompanied by an adult.

Other items included in the bill was that most of the above didn't apply if ridden on private property.

What I wonder is whether or not they plan on applying this to two or four wheel vehicles. Either way, it looks like another case of the "Nanny State" knows whats best for us. It makes me wonder how I made it to the ripe old age of "50" without all their help.

[rebelyell]

We can beat these people by 1 simple thing not listening to them and not folding and keep raising our families right and on bikes and tell these people to stuff it and do what we wanna do an not fold like bitches.I dont care if its Yankees ,rednecks or whoever.I see it at work every 1 folds an gets scared,what are they gonna do to us if we tell em no ,theres many of us and we keep riding and putting our kids on bikes? Our stupid leaders are doing the usa a serious injustice to its financial well being now and in the future.

fAMILIES THAT PLAY TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER! Oh wait theres also a war on the family structure besides class warfare.

[RyanK]

I printed the page out and added our senator's name & number and gave it to a guy down the road I see riding with his kids. Hopefully more of you will do the same. Let's keep our sport as free from regulations as possible...

[grayfox]

Hey guys,

According to an editorial in yesterday's Greenville News and one other article inside the paper this is a done deal. Nikki Haley signed it into law on Wednesday and it takes effect in July........?

[rebelyell]

Im, not from your state but this trully makes me irked.These people do whatever they want to do to us so why should we follow any rules or laws and do what we want an whats best for us?Because clearly I dont care what state it is our politicians,fearless leaders an corporations do not have the publics best interests in mind

[gscx]

Here's what is being discussed in a synopsis: The bill would make it illegal for children 5 or younger to operate an ATV, requires that children ages 6 to 15 take a safety course before operating an ATV and requires children 6 to 15 to wear helmets while operating an ATV. Anyone driving an ATV on public land must be accompanied by an adult.

????? What is the big deal about this?

[greatpunkin]

Here's what is being discussed in a synopsis: The bill would make it illegal for children 5 or younger to operate an ATV, requires that children ages 6 to 15 take a safety course before operating an ATV and requires children 6 to 15 to wear helmets while operating an ATV. Anyone driving an ATV on public land must be accompanied by an adult.

????? What is the big deal about this?

This is just the start. Next they will want my kid to register his guns.

[gscx]

Dont they say that about everything?

[RyanK]

Here's what is being discussed in a synopsis: The bill would make it illegal for children 5 or younger to operate an ATV, requires that children ages 6 to 15 take a safety course before operating an ATV and requires children 6 to 15 to wear helmets while operating an ATV. Anyone driving an ATV on public land must be accompanied by an adult.

????? What is the big deal about this?

Many things...

1- It started its like as a MUCH stricter bill. And will be modified to be stricter w/o people knowing as time goes on. Getting a new bill passed is much more visible than modifying an existing one.

2- the people that put this garbage in place don't ride. they have no clue what they're doing or what they're writing means. Looks up NC 4-wheeler laws. It was worse, and they tried applying the SAME laws to bikes.

3- It isnt' the gov'ts job to make sure my kid is safe, it is mine.

4- Have you ever seen some of those safety courses? Most of them are a joke. Now a parent will have to go to the tiem and expense of trying to get their kid(s) to a class that offers training. Nearest one for me is over 3 hours away! And they aren't exactly cheap. (Yes, I know there's no price on safety, but all they're gettign out of this class is another person telling them the same things most competant fathers do). Punish the masses for the few idiots ?

5- no children under 5 riding? All of my kids were riding by their 5th b-day. One of them before his 3rd b-day! he's never been injured and is now 7.

6- if I lived next door to public land, I'd be extremely upset if my kids couldn't ride during the day anymore while I was at work and my wife was home.

Please, enlighten me to the advantages of this bill that passed? Who is going to obey these rules that doesn't already? Assuming they'll even enforce them?

The only part of this new law I like is the helmet law. I'm all about helmets. 16 year old girl died here last week 'cuz she wasn't wearing one when her quad flipped...

[gscx]

So you will go travel to go ride at a spot but not for a safety course? You would be surprised at all of the idiot dads that dont teach kids squat and then the kid gets hurt.

And ive been riding for 7 years and havent been seriously injured. So what?

If you think its fine for your kids to ride somewhere and not supervise them then that is cool i guess.... Most adults I know wont even ride out on the trail by themselves because of what would happen if they are hurt.

[CAVSCOUT96]

GSCX

you're missing the point. It's not the Gov'ts job to teach our kids to ride responsibly. It's ours as parents. The provisions of the law are basically common sense. The safety course is another issue though. There aren't very many of them. There aren't very many spots per class, and it's money and time out of someone's pocket. On that note... follow the money. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the supoorters of tis bill weren't getting some monetary benefit (like the folks who run the training centers).

Bottom line...it's a waste of already limited fiscal resources to spend time, effort, and taxpayer money to implement a bill that goes contray to the principles of freedom our democratic republic was founded upon. More than any other reason, THAT is why it is a big deal.

[toddincharlotte]

Cavscout,

So if 80% of the kids are getting quality riding/safety education from parents and the other 20% just put their 7 year old on 65 and say have at it, that's OK?

I get sick of the standard "keep out" conservative government argument. Fact is if the government wasn't involved in affairs there would be no common currency, no roads or highway systems, no national security,....basic outright lawlessness,

While I might not advocate everything in the bill I think there should be some sort of safety standard in place for new riders.

[MrBlahh]

another useless law

just what's needed

[RyanK]

So you will go travel to go ride at a spot but not for a safety course? You would be surprised at all of the idiot dads that dont teach kids squat and then the kid gets hurt.

And ive been riding for 7 years and havent been seriously injured. So what?

If you think its fine for your kids to ride somewhere and not supervise them then that is cool i guess.... Most adults I know wont even ride out on the trail by themselves because of what would happen if they are hurt.

Cavscout96 pretty much made my point... His and that the ones who aren't training their kids properly aren't going to take them to a class anyways... 99% of the kids getting hurt irresponsibly now are still going to be the ones getting hurt...

My point is that I'm training them in the way they should ride and a government's catch-all law shouldn't tell me at what age he can start riding. My daughter's 5 and she still isn't ready. It is the parents responsiblility, not the gov't's...

Why did you assume my kid was riding alone? They know better than that. My 12 & 14 year old sons are better riders than many adults I've ridden with, and definitly more responsible than many I've seen. Why shouldn't they be able to go and ride w/o me? I can't take a break in the pklt while they go run a couple loops now either right? As I've seen it worded, it'll end up being up to an officer whether or not the youngin's could even ride ahead (or behind) a ways without getting in trouble. (define "Accompanied by an adult")

This law doens't apply to me yet, as we all ride motorcycles, but I'm sure it won't be long before some paranoid gov't official will have the bright idea to change the wording to make it apply to bikes too. That's what they tried in NC...