I did SO much stupid **** on those things as a teenager, I'm terrified to let my boys take off on one.

I think its that they are much faster and smoother riding than they were years ago.
Fast and Smooth is a dangerous combination for an unskilled rider as they don't realize how close they are to out of control, that it still takes time to brake for curves and there is so much less time to deal with unexpected obstacles.


I did a lot of dumb things on ATVs but they didn't have the power and suspension of today's.

Give them a small dirtbike instead.

the most shocking thing about growing up in the 80s/90s in the rural area we lived is that we all survived that era on 3/4wheelers.

My brother drove one through a barbed wire fence once which was not great. Had our friend who was sitting behind him not reached forward and caught the top strand with his hand it probably would have ended tragically He still has a scar where the barb punctured the side of his throat in a couple of spots. Just one of many close calls we had.

3 wheelers and 4 wheelers have consequences, but the larger, heavier UTVs are so heavy. Had family friends lose their young daughter last year. We are fairly risk tolerant, but they are off limits for my kids if an adult is not driving. It's the perception that they are safer for kids to drive than a car, that I believe leads to trouble.

still recall that feeling the first time you're hauling ass on a 3 wheeler and go to turn the wheel to avoid something and the bike keeps going straight. not good.

Wife's aunt is permanently brain damaged from rolling one 35 years ago.

Lady at our church growing up has been in a wheelchair for 20 years now from rolling one.


Not new, not just kids, not just boys.

Also, 4 wheelers were a lot lighter and smaller 20+ years ago. If they rolled on you, they were a lot easier to pick up and move. Now they are huge and heavy.

Furlock Bones said:

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Give them a small dirtbike instead.

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As crazy as it sounds, dirt bikes (just not those tiny ones) might be one of the better options because of how much noise they make. You're also way less likely to have a passenger than on an ATV or side by side. They ended up outlawing motorized scooters and e-bikes for kids where I live because there's been so many accidents. Kids are flying on those things, you can't hear them, and the kids also have a tendency to look at their phones while they're operating them. Everyone can hear a dirt bike coming, plus since they're loud and you have to use both hands, there's no using a phone during their operation. Parents are getting tickets out here and possible impoundment of the scooter/e-bike if there's multiple infractions. Now if a kid wants to get around in our neighborhood they either walk or ride a regular bicycle.

Guess I'm the outlier here.

Didn't have anything like that growing up, limited experience on them via friends that did have them. I have a Mule PRO and it is what my girls learned how to drive on in our neighborhood. Between the two of them they probably put 3,000 miles on that thing starting when my oldest was around age 12 or maybe 13 when I first let her cruise around solo.

Oldest had a near seamless transition into driving, youngest is doing her driver's ed stuff now and the actual driving part is almost second nature to her. Hell, I've had the only accident in that thing when I hit a tree stump out at the swamp lease that was hidden by grass and goat weed.

I get the concerns of folks though, having kids is scary as it is. But also look at it this way - all of the "man, growing up I did a lot of dumb things" folks seem to be the same ones that want to [understandably] protect their kids from doing dumb things. But it is those dumb things that made you who you are and taught you valuable lessons. We can't complain about younger generations being soft or lacking real world common sense, etc. if we continually shield them from those lessons either.

That being said, I was an absolute hardass on my girls about driving around the neighborhood in the Mule. We know folks all over the neighborhood and my buggy is pretty unique, or was then. We knew if stupid stuff was done. I did have to ground my oldest once because my youngest ratted her out about messing with her phone and running off the road into the ditch. I was not a happy camper about that and she knew it.

But you forget how much fun you had with any motorized toy

Grew up with a moped
a motorcycle at A&M
a 4 wheeler and a side by side now


My son started on a kawasaki 110.

Yes life is full of dangers but man you can have fun with one. You just have to teach to be careful.

It's not going to save your bacon in every case, but a full face helmet would go a long way towards mitigating some of these injuries. I am surprised by how many folks ride without any helmet at all.