Four-Wheelin’ Age Limits?

Brush with Death!
Two days ago, I was driving on home from work, and just as I was coming to the top of the hill, out from the bush covered ditch, onto the highway, right in front of me, popped a four-wheeler with a young boy driving, and another young boy hanging over the driver. They couldn't have been older then 8 to 10 years. It took every driving skill I had to prevent running into them, it scared the “BGs” out of me. Then to top it off, they acted irritated and threateningly towards me!

I think four-wheelers are pretty cool and are being adopted more and more for transportation use. But, I have noticed more and more, younger and younger children on them, racing around erratically and doing stunts that are very dangerous. They are not only endangering their lives and their passengers (sometimes up to 6) with them, but also the people innocently driving on the highways.

Every area has different requirements for different vehicles, tho the requirements, if there are any, for this very popular mode of transportation seem to be a little fuzzy. Are there restrictions of ages? If not, I think there should be! We are required to be a certain age, take written tests and pass driving tests to prove our competency, in order to drive on the streets/highways/roads. So, with the amount of four-wheelers being driven all over the place now, I feel the same regulations should be applied.

Are there requirements?
They should have as already mentioned, age and size restrictions, written and driving tests, and safety classes, possibly, even helmets on the younger ones and passengers for protection. Doesn’t it seem odd, that, it is recommended, and in some places required, that children wear kneepads, elbow pads, helmets and shoes when riding a bicycle, skates or skateboard, yet they are allowed to drive those machines, (some are the size of small cars) around on dirt paths (and more and more on the highways) that are rutted, pitted, flooded and sometimes not even there, with no protection whatsoever, and with no speed or driving requirements?

It use to be, that the people driving the four-wheelers, just stuck to the paths on the sides of the roads, then all the car/truck driver had to deal with, was being blinded by the extremely bright, glaring, bouncing headlights, and the dirt being kicked up so thick you could hardly see thru it. But now, even though they shouldn’t be, the four-wheeler’s are also all over the highways/roads seemingly oblivious to traffic and road rules, and I have heard numerous complaints from around the area, that four-wheelers are being driven all over private property causing a lot of damage and destruction, at all hours of the day and night.

Parental Supervision?
I sometimes wonder if these young one’s parents, even know what these kids are doing on these very expensive and dangerous piece of equipment. They also, must have a never ending pool of money to dip into, because with the cost of fuel these days, and their kids driving (driving is a pretty mild word to use, maybe I need to say, racing, ramming, jumping and side wheeling, and dodging) all day and night on these pricey vehicles.. Not to mention, the ones causing the trouble and destruction around town and on private property, eventually will be caught and the damages will need to be paid for..

I have to be fair, it is not just the young kids doing this either. Maybe it is just me, but when I see the way some of these people are driving in those machines, I cringe, because, just the thought of broken bones, and being in pain for the rest of my life, not to mention the life long medical/medicine expenses, causes me to be extra careful when I am driving anything.

CU