help my kid with his research,,, 5 quick questions please

[jostby]

We're done taking results from this survey. Anyone posting going forward will just be for the benefit of "as info" to the GGRC community. We will try to compile this info into something meaningfull for everyone to see but the results are obviously not a typical cross section of society. Most everyone on this board are pretty hard core riders or racers. And we all know if you want to race competitively you are eventually going to get injured. We also polled Thumpertalk and our local 4x4 website, PNW4WDA. The only injuries from the 4x4 site (and a lot of those guys race too) was 1 guy who hurt himself on his dirt bike, go figure!!

Here is our info for all of you to see...

male 48
ride often since age 5 (used to compete in observed trials but don't race)
detached ACL age 44
no ATV
no UTV
used to desert race single seat buggies for 5 yrs, several rollovers but no injuries.

son age 17
riding since age 5
no injuries. (he's going to compete at the Desert 100 this coming spring though so you might want to check back for an update )

 

[jostby]

OK, this is as unofficial as it gets. Pretty skewed results because I posted here and on Thumpertalk (not quite like standing in front of WalMart). I also posted on the Pacific Northwest 4X4 forum (I used to race Jeeps and desert cars).

Pretty much abbreviated but here goes...

Are you 36-50yrs? Then gear up, as in safety gear!! My kid figured the 16-24yr old group would be it but us older guys are the ones getting the injuries.

85 surveys received. 10 were female. 23 respondents had NO MAJOR INJURIES! I feel bad for the rest of you folks!

Most common injury? Broken ribs, 53 of them of course some people had more than one to count.

#2 was head injuries. 32 reported.

Dislocations, broken legs, Knee (mcl/acl/lcl), clavicle (collar bone) and wrist injuries were next
with about 20 each +/-, all pretty much tied.

But to read the stories!! Punctured lungs, impalement's, broken necks and backs and even ruptured kidneys and spleens.

Youngest responses, 2 from the 11-15yr group. Oldest, 2 over 66. Most was 9 from 46-50yr range.

To sum things up I don't want anyone to take this survey as being official. It was mostly hard-core riders that we reached out to for info, not the general population. Most of the "never had an injury" group were the 4X4 folks (PNW4WDA) as they pretty much all wear helmets, seat belts, and have roll-bars.

Everybody ride careful. And help me, I still worry about my kid though maybe I shouldn't based on the stats!

 

[bondo]

Very interesting results. Actually, I'm not surprised that there were more injuries in the "older" groups - we've got more seat time, and therefore have had more opportunities to get hurt.

As far as being worried about your boy, I can empathize. My son is 16 and I have the same concerns when we ride. However, I console myself with a few observations. First, he's young and flexible. When he hits the ground, he's more likely to bounce than break. Second, I'll guarantee his reflexes are better than his dad's. He can probably save it in most cases.
Third, it will be what it will be. Personally, I'd rather LIVE than simply live.
As we all know, there's a measure of risk, but if we teach our kids good technique and teach them to ride smart, that risk can be managed.

Happy Trails!