Do you know where your kids are driving their ATVs? I do, on State Regulated roads which, by the way is illegal. I understand kids will be kids and they will push the limits, but my concerns are very real. My fear is for your child's safety. Issue in point, on Wednesday night, 8/6, I noticed a teenager on a very large, red ATV at the intersection of Cleveland Road and Shiloh Road waiting to cross over past Chops Restaurant. I was myself in the left turn lane to Shiloh Road. Apparently after the light changed and I turned the kid on the ATV crossed over and was riding down Shiloh Road in the middle of the lane, now mind you this was in what I would call very high traffic time (between 5:30 and 6 PM), behind me. I proceeded up Shiloh doing approximately 42 mph. Just about a block before the large subdivision on the left, this kid PASSED me on his ATV and then turned left onto the main road in this subdivision. That means he had to be going at least 45 mph, on an illegal vehicle, passing on a double yellow line - WOW - if this is your child you need to know this. He was a very tall, slender young man with blonde hair wearing a white tee shirt and jeans. Please don't disregard this danger for your child's safety and for the driver's who are legally on the road.
Wow, that is scary! And since you know his hair color I'm assuming he wasn't wearing a helmet, which is even worse!
Not saying the actions during your incident is OK, but.... Actually ATV's can be legally titled and driven as a motorcycle on roads in several states. Not sure if NC is one or not tho. Passing on the double line is relatively dangerous, but quite often needed on a motorcycle. Getting away from dangerous drivers is crucial even if it means breaking a traffic law. Plus, please remember we do live in the country, you are likely to see tractors, ATVs, horses, mules etc. going down the streets.
Your moniker seems to suggest that your response is a testosterone emphasized one. 1. ATV's as indicated by the OP are not licensed for the roads. 2. Rather than passing a dangerous driver and placing yourself in more danger, why not slow down and allow him to get on his way? Cagers represent far less a danger to me as a rider if I think for both of us, and let them go. You can rationalize that breaking the law to pass one of these is a good thing. It won't hold up in court, nor stop the officer from writing your citation. 3. Yes, we are all aware that mules, horses, tractors, and other farm implements use the roads. The OP was talking about an unsafe ATV rider. I'd encourage a MSF riders refresher course. H6
Response to DareDevil Thanks for the comments, I'd like to address them, however, As another reply stated, in NC, it is illegal to drive ATV's on state regulated roads, with that said, I was quite shocked that you find it OK to pass on a double line under any circumstance. And, just to clarify, the motorcycle drivers I see on I-40 just about eveyday are the "dangerous" drivers. Saw one just yesterday driving in the middle, making his own lane because he felt he could get along quicker than the rest of us folks in real cars Also, I don't live in the "country", I live in the county of Johnston in the mass metropolis referred to as "Cleveland School area", no dirt roads, tracks or farming implements that I see of late, and no reason to think this behavior is acceptable even in the "country". Sorry, just a hard nosed stance on this one. If it ain't licensed, keep it off the state regulated roads please.
I have to agree with waggernc on this one. In NC atv's do not belong on the road unless they are used for farming or hunting and I grew up farming in NC so I knowed they are used for this. From my own observation there is not much farming in the Cleveland community and to me it is by far a long way from being country. The section of the Cleveland community near Shiloh road is pretty busy. It is a part of the county, but not a rural part of the county any more. Maybe it used to be, but not anymore. I would have to say that the young people driving these atv's did not belong on the road because they were not farming or hunting judging by what was described about their driving habits. I would rather assume that they had no business on the road instead of crying over them when they get hit on the road at a busy part of the day.
Actually my moniker is from my teenage days when there was no Internet, I had a BBS and we all used "handles". I liked the Daredevil comic book series and I just kept using it. Having met me, you know I'm not a 20 something on a hotrod chromed out, neon lit up loud mufflered scoot. I'm a graying middle aged guy that has been riding since I was knee-high to a grasshopper Got my first streetbike @ 17 years old in 1988. I still have it, and ride it on occasion to this day. Now that that is out of the way...... 1: http://streetlegalatv.com/ Nuff said. 2: Absolutely I can rationize breaking the law on my scoot. One example is the fact that most bikes dont have enought metal to trigger the traffic lights. Every rider in the world will tell you, sit @ the traffic light long enough (maybe 2 cycles), then you run it if a car doesnt pull up behind you. If you arent breaking a law once in a while on your bike, you will get splattered ALOT quicker, period. 3: Agreed, it SOUNDS like unsafe practices were being used and living very near to that area, I have seen the same kid, doing the same sorta stuff, on the same ATV. Hence my "not that it applies in your situation" or whatever from my earlier post. I have just learned in the past that when somebody is "passionate" about a statement, they tend to embelish things. Most snakes when seen, are described twice as large to the next person. I take some offense to the ATVs arent allowed on public roads stuff because I cross a street on mine almost daily >to get to the woods<. I have had to drive it almost a block down Cleveland school once because the creek I normally cross had washed out and the lady that was on my ATC didnt want to go back through it. Technically, both items were illegal, but I can tell you that once riding through a subdivision to get to another patch of woods, I had a LEO see me and give me the thumbs up, BECAUSE I WAS RIDING SANELY. I can pull wheelies, stoppies, etc all day long on any one of my bikes,atvs,atcs I just dont do that sorta silliness typically, except once in a while in the woods where if I fall off it doesnt hurt as bad. Ok, so I do it on occasion @ the request of kids in the neighborhood As for a MSF safety course, I've taught probably 30+ people how to ride motorcycles, and until last sunday (lady on cell phone hit a friend of mine), none of them had ever been in a wreck. I HIGHLY recomend the course to anyone just getting a bike tho. Despite what you think Waggernc, you do live "in the country". Be proud of that fact, I am.
I know what you mean. I live on Norris Road, right off of Barber Mill Road, and they are constintly riding them here. Adults and teenagers WITH NO HELMETS!!! There's a wooded lot beside my house, and they have gone in there and made a trail. I can here them everytime they are there, which sounds like they are in my yard. Plus, they are there VERY LATE, sometimes 12:00 am - 2:00am. This is really getting ANNOYING PEOPLE. YOU NEED TO RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE AND YOUR SAFETY. PLUS THE PROPERTY YOU HAVE MADE YOUR TRAIL IN, IS PRIVATE PROPERTY, FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD. AND IF YOU ARE CAUGHT RIDING ON THE ROADS AND A COP STOPS YOU, YOU WILL BE PULLED OVER TO LEAVE YOUR 4 WHEELER THERE, WHICH YOU WILL HAVE TO COME BACK AND PICK IT UP ON A TRAILER. AND YOU WILL BE FINED. GOOD LUCK, CAUSE YOU WILL NEED IT...
Amen, and if you don't stay off our land, which seems the place everyone wants to ride them because we own quite a bit of land, my dear hubby is most likely going to shoot your wheels out from under ya because your on private property, KEEP OFF OUR LAND.
No need to be offensive Is it really necessary to use bad language and to be offensive to a person who is just trying to address a serious issue? Really, how old are you anyway? As far as your implication that I am a "move in" exactly what does that mean? If it means what I think you mean, that I am a transplant from the North or Yankee as they are affectionately referred to, wrong on both counts. I am a proud NC native and I have lived in the Cleveland area for over 6 years now. It was country when I moved in, but it certainly wouldn't be characterized as that now. I notice your location isn't listed, what area do you live in? Must not be too close to the 40/42 area, or if it is, you sure don't get out much Why don't you drive your ATV up to the intersection of Cleveland School and 42 and give it a look! Hey, I thought they cleaned things up the discussion area while ago, apparently didn't do a very good job of it. Happy trails wherever they may lead you.
I know its been a while since I've been on here, but I didnt know the skin had gotten so thin around these parts. Its just an opinion, mild language @ worse. It seems as if the lady was ashamed that she lives in the country.That type of gut reacting should be expected. Be proud of who you are, where you are, and where you are from.
I'm all for kids riding down state roads without helments. Just makes it easier for me to hit them. :lol: If your that stupid you deserve to suffer the consequences.
