SW FLORIDA MEDIA BASHING ATVs - Need your comments sent to media

[Thrumud]

South West Florida Fox 4 News is bashing the use of ATVs in South Florida. On Monday May 21st they are having a special about the dangers of ATV use. I need you guys to e-mail the media in a polite way and give your input. 

As some of you may know, the SFWMD said they would open a temporary site in Collier County while the Lake Trafford permanent site is cleared. The SFWMD also said they would have the temporary site open by the beginning of April, GUESS WHAT ! No temp site open. Lee County Parks & Recreation (Fred Johnson) said that an OHV park was in the works in Ft Myers. Lee County Commissioners keep putting a wall every time the topic comes up. Lee County was supposed to receive a $440,000 grant for an OHV Park "what happen" ? Enough is enough – Please this is part of our battle, send your comments to the e-mails below before Monday 3:PM.



fcarr@fox4now.com
jkenney@fox4now.com
pnolan@fox4now.com
kfogelsong@fox4now.com

[JackL]

South West Florida Fox 4 News is bashing the use of ATVs in South Florida. On Monday May 21st they are having a special about the dangers of ATV use. I need you guys to e-mail the media in a polite way and give your input. 

As some of you may know, the SFWMD said they would open a temporary site in Collier County while the Lake Trafford permanent site is cleared. The SFWMD also said they would have the temporary site open by the beginning of April, GUESS WHAT ! No temp site open. Lee County Parks & Recreation (Fred Johnson) said that an OHV park was in the works in Ft Myers. Lee County Commissioners keep putting a wall every time the topic comes up. Lee County was supposed to receive a $440,000 grant for an OHV Park "what happen" ? Enough is enough – Please this is part of our battle, send your comments to the e-mails below before Monday 3:PM.



fcarr@fox4now.com
jkenney@fox4now.com
pnolan@fox4now.com
kfogelsong@fox4now.com

I looked all over the fox4now.com site and can't find the story. You have a link or is it on TV?
What are they saying?

[eldiablo64]

I emailed 6them .I also sent them this post from florida atv.com that was posted by Paul S.  and told them maybe they should do a story about the dangers of soccer seeing as it is more dangerous than atv's.    Just thought I would put up some interesting facts I have come across recently. These are a few years out of date, but it is the latest info available. As you can see the steady improvement of ATV safety over the years has led to the steady decline of injuries and fatalities on ATV’s. Check it out.

2003 Risk Injury Assessment per 100,00 vehicles

Activity                                     Emergency room injury per 100,000 participants

Football                                                                2,292
Basketball                                                             2,051
Wrestling                                                              1,960
Boxing                                                                  1,777
Soccer                                                                 1,439
Baseball                                                                  985
Skateboarding                                                          982
Bicycle Riding                                                           979
Softball                                                                   897
Ice Hockey                                                              879
Snowboarding                                                           815
Roller Skating                                                            596
Skiing                                                                      520
Snowmobiling                                                            509
Martial Arts                                                               496
Volleyball                                                                  476
ATV’s                                                                                       472
Racquetball                                                              338
Scooter Riding                                                          326
In-Line Skating                                                         280
Ice/Figure Skating                                                     271
Roller Hockey                                                            255
Weightlifting                                                              253
Swimming                                                                 235
Tennis                                                                      221
Paintball                                                                   190
Fishing                                                                     144
Water Skiing                                                              132
Golf                                                                         123
Archery                                                                    83
Fencing                                                                    67
Exercising w/equipment                                               62
Scuba Diving                                                             58
Bowling                                                                     39
Horseshoe Pitching                                                      32
Badminton                                                                  30
Table Tennis                                                              17
Billiards/pool                                                               12
Camping                                                                     6

For participants 7 years of age and older.

Sources:

“2003 Annual Report of ATV Deaths and Injuries”,
CPSC, January 2005.
“Sports Participation in 2003″, National Sporting
Goods Association.


So as you can see we ranked right between Vollyball and Racquetball in injuries. I am still waiting for congress to legislate more safety on the Vollyball and Racquetball industries!!

Here is another one:

2003 Injury Risk Estimates Per 100,000 Participants

Activity                                              Injuries per 100,00 participants
Motor Vehicles                                                       993
Passenger Cars                                                      604
Atv                                                                      488

So we are safer than a car also.

 
 
 

[yfz122]

South West Florida Fox 4 News is bashing the use of ATVs in South Florida. On Monday May 21st they are having a special about the dangers of ATV use. I need you guys to e-mail the media in a polite way and give your input. 

As some of you may know, the SFWMD said they would open a temporary site in Collier County while the Lake Trafford permanent site is cleared. The SFWMD also said they would have the temporary site open by the beginning of April, GUESS WHAT ! No temp site open. Lee County Parks & Recreation (Fred Johnson) said that an OHV park was in the works in Ft Myers. Lee County Commissioners keep putting a wall every time the topic comes up. Lee County was supposed to receive a $440,000 grant for an OHV Park "what happen" ? Enough is enough – Please this is part of our battle, send your comments to the e-mails below before Monday 3:PM.



fcarr@fox4now.com
jkenney@fox4now.com
pnolan@fox4now.com
kfogelsong@fox4now.com

So which dangers are they referencing?  Are we discussing ecological issues or physical issues? I would like to know what to address when I send the email. Thanks.

[Thrumud]

They have short radio announcements about the story on Monday.  Not on their site yet but keep checking.

yfz122 its about physical issues -

Maybe if there were more regulated areas to ride kids and riders won't be getting injured, that's the solution, but these idiots don't get it.

[JackL]

They have short radio announcements about the story on Monday.  Not on their site yet but keep checking.

yfz122 its about physical issues -

Maybe if there were more regulated areas to ride kids and riders won't be getting injured, that's the solution, but these idiots don't get it.

So it is good they got that post with the injury data on various sports before they went to the press with the story. Maybe some of the info will actually make it into the story...

[lisa]

  Challenge them to attend the rally, so they can see, and film, folks behaving in an appropriate manner on ATVs.....

[Paul_S]

  Challenge them to attend the rally, so they can see, and film, folks behaving in an appropriate manner on ATVs.....

Good idea.

[Thrumud]

The report is on the "lack of strict safety measures"

[r6realtor]

The report is on the "lack of strict safety measures"

On the tv commercial they show what looks to be a 10 year old little girl that was hurt on an atv, which I can almost bet she was on a bike twice the size she needed to be on. They also show the reporter making a phone call, asking "why aren't there stricter saftey procedures for atv" like she's some troubleshooter tuff guy. Her story i can tell already will be one sided, hopefully someone can get the link on here and we can email her with constructive comments. Maybe we can show her it's not the manufactures faults or the salesmans faults, it's the parents who let the kids run wild on them. It's seems as if no one can take responsibility for there own actions anymore.
Plus who needs safety rules anyway when there is no where to ride?? an atv can't get much safer sitting in the garage
This is the womens email that is actually doing the story,her name is
Marisa Mendelson
mmendelson@fox4now.com

[yfz122]

ATVsafety.gov provides some valuable statistics from a reliable source.  I have emailed fcarr and asked that they take the time to review that information.

[Loven It]

The report is on the "lack of strict safety measures"

On the tv commercial they show what looks to be a 10 year old little girl that was hurt on an atv, which I can almost bet she was on a bike twice the size she needed to be on. They also show the reporter making a phone call, asking "why aren't there stricter saftey procedures for atv" like she's some troubleshooter tuff guy. Her story i can tell already will be one sided, hopefully someone can get the link on here and we can email her with constructive comments. Maybe we can show her it's not the manufactures faults or the salesmans faults, it's the parents who let the kids run wild on them. It's seems as if no one can take responsibility for there own actions anymore.
Plus who needs safety rules anyway when there is no where to ride?? an atv can't get much safer sitting in the garage
This is the womens email that is actually doing the story,her name is
Marisa Mendelson
mmendelson@fox4now.com

I just wanted to add that unfortunately some of the fault does lie in the manufactures...or should I say the rules that the manufactures have to abide by not sure....

The atv size/cc rules have not been revised in years per the atv saftey council. That is a problem!! I really believe maybe just maybe atvs would not get a bad name when you see a kid on an atv that is not the appropriate size if the sizes were adjusted. Not sure if that makes sense. Let me try and put it this way. The general impression in society is that the sticker on the atv says no riders under the age of 12 on a 90cc. People look at that and go that kid shouldn't have even been on that atv he was under the required age. If the regulations were adjusted, and the 12 year old was on a 200cc or 250cc bike would people be so quick to judge? Probably not if the sticker would have their age catagory listed. See the point I am trying to make here. Please don't read this like I am blaming the manufactures I am not at all. They need people on thier side to help get the regualtions adjusted.

We have all bitched about this before. My child was in danger of being hurt on a 50cc atv at 6yrs old. He stands almost to my shoulders and is not a little boy. Him riding on a 50cc was so much more dangerous in the aspect that quad was getting more and more tippy when he would lean to the side just because of his size. Just like a 9 your old being on a 90cc unless that kid is tiny they are at more risk of being hurt on an "age appropriate" quad. The point is let the media get ahold of the fact that my son gets injured on a 90cc when he should have been on a 50cc and I will be the "bad parent" who has their kid on an inappropriate sized atv. Hope the point I was trying to make, makes sense.

ATV safety with children in my opinion all comes down to personal accountability on the childs parent. Nothing happens to parents when a child under the age of 16 is on an atv if they are not wearing a helmet. Why? Is it not the law that under 16 you must wear a helmet. Maybe if more and more parents had to pay the fines or actually be responsible for the actions of their kids they would take safety a little more seriously. Maybe not. See it this way if that dosen't make sense..Its just like us riders, we get stopped and told its not a legal riding area and if we come back we will get a ticket...what do MOST of us do? Not go back because we don't want to chance our bikes getting impounded or getting a ticket.


edit-sending my email now.

[r6realtor]

Loven it, I hear what your saying and that does makes sense. I am just trying to remember the last time I saw a kid on an atv that looked like he weighed more than 60 pounds and his feet were so far away from the pegs or floorboard of the atv that he was using the side of the motor or the cvt transmission as the floorboards for a resting area for his feet. There are parents out there that do try to get an atv at least size approperaite for there children regardless of age and then there are some that let there son or daughter drive around the Parents atv, and that's what I see 98% of the time. So I blame the parents.

[TRX450R_Racer]

 I wrote them and here is the response I received.

Dear Mr. Bartus:

            Please don’t take this the wrong way, but any time we do a story having anything to do with certain hobbies that people feel passionately about – ATV’s and motorcycles being two prime examples – we get flooded with letters from enthusiasts who want us do a story putting what they would consider a “positive spin” on the story.   We don’t do that.  When we set out to do a story, we don’t set out to do either a “positive” or a “negative” story.  Instead, we set out to examine an issue or question that seems newsworthy.  In this case, the crux of our story is that certain types of ATV injuries possibly could be reduced if certain voluntary standards were made mandatory.   That’s it.  Most of the points you make do not fall within the scope of our story.

 

            I also responded some of your other comments on a point by point basis below.

 

            I invite you to watch the story and follow up with any comments at that time.

 

            Thanks for writing us.

 

Forrest Carr

News Director

WFTX-TV

621 S.W. Pine Island Rd.

Cape Coral FL 33991
Station Tel:  (239) 574-3636
Direct line:  (239) 829 1103

[Thrumud]

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

[mudnuri]

The news media stinks. Can't ever remember them coming to an event and reporting on all the good things that happened. The stigma related to off-roading and ATV'ing is negative in many peoples eyes. We need to find a reporter who will show the positive side of ATV'ing. The family aspect should be enough.
Maybe this rally should generate some sort of fundraiser for a needy group. Like handicap children or something?

[Thrumud]

Well said r6realtor 

[americanhighlander]

You guys should listen Rush Limbaugh show on friday
the  guy that doesn't like globe warming BS and
emp nuts.

Yeah  he  was talking about  southwest FLA about oil rigs
and he said  the people  in naples area all that area are  old fart emp nuts
and rush thinks the old farts are manics nuts, and all old farts do is eat sleep
and doing noting all day. He sure put plain stright on show on friday and he's right
about sw florida and like you guys on here your sure telling truth about that.
www.rushlimbaugh.com

I swear god he telling this on friday all over air waves during afternoon hours  and he was talking with
guy over phone about oil gas prices and he was talking about why state of florida about oil prices.Thats
what bring up topic on Rush Show on friday.



Yeah i'll listen to it on 97.3fm the sky and this's right out of gainesville area
you should be getting this down in ocala areas.

 

[cheropride]

Yes, I saw this too, I currently working on a letter and going to send.  Thanks for keeping me posted, as always......

[TRX450R_Racer]

Here are the e-mails I sent in order. We went back and forth a few times.

Hi,
  I heard you are going to do a story of the dangers of ATV riding. I would l;like it if you could include the following.

1. ATV riders don't have a safe, regulated place to ride.

2. The state caters to all out door activities except ours.

3. The hunters and ATVers are the only groups that have to PAY to use our National Forests, which is public land.

4. As far as injuries go ATVing is far down on the list compared to most activities.

   
2003 Risk Injury Assessment per 100,00 vehicles

Activity                                     Emergency room injury per 100,000 participants

Football                                                                2,292
Basketball                                                             2,051
Wrestling                                                              1,960
Boxing                                                                  1,777
Soccer                                                                 1,439
Baseball                                                                  985
Skate boarding                                                          982
Bicycle Riding                                                           979
Softball                                                                   897
Ice Hockey                                                              879
Snow boarding                                                           815
Roller Skating                                                            596
Skiing                                                                      520
Snowmobiling                                                            509
Martial Arts                                                               496
Volleyball                                                                  476
ATV’s                                                                                       472
Racquet ball                                                              338
Scooter Riding                                                          326
In-Line Skating                                                         280
Ice/Figure Skating                                                     271
Roller Hockey                                                            255
Weight lifting                                                              253
Swimming                                                                 235
Tennis                                                                      221
Paint ball                                                                   190
Fishing                                                                     144
Water Skiing                                                              132
Golf                                                                         123
Archery                                                                    83
Fencing                                                                    67
Exercising w/equipment                                               62
Scuba Diving                                                             58
Bowling                                                                     39
Horseshoe Pitching                                                      32
Badminton                                                                  30
Table Tennis                                                              17
Billiards/pool                                                               12
Camping                                                                     6

For participants 7 years of age and older.

Sources:

“2003 Annual Report of ATV Deaths and Injuries”,
CPSC, January 2005.
“Sports Participation in 2003″, National Sporting
Goods Association.



Here is another one:

2003 Injury Risk Estimates Per 100,000 Participants

Activity                                              Injuries per 100,00 participants
Motor Vehicles                                                       993
Passenger Cars                                                      604
Atv                                                                      488

So we are safer than a car also.

My final thoughts are, if you give us a place to go you won't have half the problems that you do now.

                                                                                                     Thanks for reading
                                                                                                      Frank Bartus

[TRX450R_Racer]

Response

Dear Mr. Bartus:

            Please don’t take this the wrong way, but any time we do a story having anything to do with certain hobbies that people feel passionately about – ATV’s and motorcycles being two prime examples – we get flooded with letters from enthusiasts who want us do a story putting what they would consider a “positive spin” on the story.   We don’t do that.  When we set out to do a story, we don’t set out to do either a “positive” or a “negative” story.  Instead, we set out to examine an issue or question that seems newsworthy.  In this case, the crux of our story is that certain types of ATV injuries possibly could be reduced if certain voluntary standards were made mandatory.   That’s it.  Most of the points you make do not fall within the scope of our story.

 

            I also responded some of your other comments on a point by point basis below.

 

            I invite you to watch the story and follow up with any comments at that time.

 

            Thanks for writing us.

 

Forrest Carr

News Director

WFTX-TV

621 S.W. Pine Island Rd.

Cape Coral FL 33991
Station Tel:  (239) 574-3636
Direct line:  (239) 829 1103


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: hondatrx450racer@aol.com [mailto:hondatrx450racer@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 9:57 AM
To: Forrest Carr
Cc: Krista Fogelsong; Judy Kenney; Patrick Nolan
Subject: Dangers of ATVing

 

 Hi,
  I heard you are going to do a story of the dangers of ATV riding. I would l;like it if you could include the following.

1. ATV riders don't have a safe, regulated place to ride.

--  We have done probably about a dozen stories on this very issue.   FYI, the response from most taxpayers has been, “Why is this MY problem?”


2. The state caters to all out door activities except ours.

-- “All out door activies?”  That’s certainly not true.  It is true that the state allows SOME other types of outdoor activities.  Offhand I can’t think of any other outdoor activity that is as hard on the environment as ATV riding.


3. The hunters and ATVers are the only groups that have to PAY to use our National Forests, which is public land.

-- Absolutely untrue.


4. As far as injuries go ATVing is far down on the list compared to most activities.

--  OK.  But what is your point?   Are you saying that the current level of death and injury is acceptable and that no more needs to be done?  Or do you feel we’ve done all we can?  In either case, a lot of people would disagree with you.


   
2003 Risk Injury Assessment per 100,00 vehicles

Activity                                     Emergency room injury per 100,000 participants

Football                                                                2,292
Basketball                                                             2,051
Wrestling                                                              1,960
Boxing                                                                  1,777
Soccer                                                                 1,439
Baseball                                                                  985
Skate boarding                                                          982
Bicycle Riding                                                           979
Softball                                                                   897
Ice Hockey                                                              879
Snow boarding                                                           815
Roller Skating                                                            596
Skiing                                                                      520
Snowmobiling                                                            509
Martial Arts                                                               496
Volleyball                                                                  476
ATV’s                                                                                       472
Racquet ball                                                              338
Scooter Riding                                                          326
In-Line Skating                                                         280
Ice/Figure Skating                                                     271
Roller Hockey                                                            255
Weight lifting                                                              253
Swimming                                                                 235
Tennis                                                                      221
Paint ball                                                                   190
Fishing                                                                     144
Water Skiing                                                              132
Golf                                                                         123
Archery                                                                    83
Fencing                                                                    67
Exercising w/equipment                                               62
Scuba Diving                                                             58
Bowling                                                                     39
Horseshoe Pitching                                                      32
Badminton                                                                  30
Table Tennis                                                              17
Billiards/pool                                                               12
Camping                                                                     6

For participants 7 years of age and older.

-- Again, I’d ask, what is your point?  Do you think “Racket ball” injuries, for instance, are the same type of injuries that young people tend to suffer from ATV crashes?  I assure you that’s not the case.  Further, when you exclude people under the age of 7, you’re excluding some people who have been very seriously injured or killed on ATV’s.  I personally know of someone who has been confined to a wheelchair suffering from severe brain damage because of an ATV accident she suffered at the age of 3.




Here is another one:

2003 Injury Risk Estimates Per 100,000 Participants

Activity                                              Injuries per 100,00 participants
Motor Vehicles                                                       993
Passenger Cars                                                      604
Atv                                                                      488

So we are safer than a car also.

-- Again, your point is what?  That anything more safe than an automobile is just fine as it is?  You are entitled to your opinion, but a lot of people have opposite opinions.  Cars are intensely regulated.  People under a certain age can’t drive them.   Those who do have to be licensed.  Strict insurance regulations apply.  Strict manufacturing requirements apply.  And so on.  By my read, if your stats are correct, ATV’s are only slightly “more safe” than cars.   Doesn’t that suggest to you that someone needs to be paying closer attention to what is happening on ATVs, especially given the age of some of the riders?


My final thoughts are, if you give us a place to go you won't have half the problems that you do now.

                                                                                                     Thanks for reading
                                                                                                      Frank Bartus

[TRX450R_Racer]

My next e-mail back

 Thanks for your reply. Hopefully in the future you can do a story to help us. I know the media doesn't like positive stories.
                                                                      Frank Bartus

[TRX450R_Racer]

Next response

It’s obvious you did not read my reply.  So let me underscore the following line in my note, written in response to your statement that ATV riders don’t have a place to ride: 

“We have done probably about a dozen stories on this very issue.”  Each one of those stories was about the very issue you bring up, and explored efforts to find a place for ATV’ers to ride.   In that light, your statement that “the media doesn’t like positive stories” is a little unfair.
I do think, however, that it would be fair to say that not all ATV enthusiasts are open to any kind of criticism of their sport.

[TRX450R_Racer]

My next one. I don't have children but it sounded good. I hope Bounty doesn't get offended about the disabled part. That was a lie too, but it seemed to work.



 I thank you again for replying. I didn't want to come off to harsh, but all you see in the news is negativity(I'm not just referring to ATV's). I know it's not your fault. That is what sells. The other thing that is usually not reported is if the person hurt had on a helmet. Thanks for any help you can give us to keep the only sport that I can participate in with my children, being a dissabled vet.
                                                                                  Frank Bartus

[TRX450R_Racer]

there response

I understand.  Please do watch the story. I’d be very interested in any follow-up comments.