Quad Squad pushing for mandatory ATV safety training
When The Record last spoke with Ngaire Denora, she had just launched the Facebook page ‘Mothers against Quads !!!!! ’
Her son Myles, at age 24, died of brain injuries after his quad (four-wheel allterrain vehicle) hit a fence post.
When Denora discovered how frequently accidents involving ATVS occur, and the fact that there is no mandatory training required before driving one, she made it her mission to educate the public about the potential dangers of quads and to lobby for mandatory safety training.
While she is still a mother against quads, her Facebook page has evolved, now known as Quad Squad Quebec (VTT formation obligatoire/sécuritaire ATV mandated safety training).
“I wanted it to be more inclusive for men,” Denora said, to bring them into the discussion. She also wanted to make the page bilingual.
“I think it’s important that everybody know this,” she commented, regardless of language.
CONT’D
CONT’D
Denora has also started doing outreach in the community, speaking in local schools and groups about quad safety.
At a recent speaking engagement in Stanstead, Denora said the group she spoke to was surprised by what she had to say.
“They were pretty shocked at the information I presented them with about ATVS.”
Denora’s son Myles was an avid dirt bike rider. When he had his quad accident in October of 2016, he was new to the sport. Myles was wearing a helmet, he had not been drinking, and based on where the accident happened, the surface was flat and he was not travelling at an excessive speed.
He simply lost control of the vehicle and ran into a fence post.
“His biggest liability was inexperience,” Denora explained.
One mother at the safety talk said that her son was planning on getting a scooter, but because he would have had to write a test at the SAAQ to get a license, he opted instead to buy a quad, which requires no testing.
“That just proves my point,” Denora said. “These machines have fallen into some black abyss of nothingness. Nobody wants to take responsibility for anything.” Denora was told by the federal government that the regulating of ATVS does not fall under its jurisdiction.
The provincial government pointed out that members of quad clubs in Quebec are required to undergo training as part of their membership, but providing driving lessons for ATVS or snowmobiles does not fall under the SAAQ’S mission.
The vehicles themselves are peppered with warning stickers and safety recommendations, which in theory, absolves the manufacturers of any other responsibility.
Denora contacted the Fédération Québecoise des clubs Quads (FQCQ) to get an idea of the number of trained ATV operators are currently circulating in the province.
She said she was told that there were 60,000 FQCQ members with the appropriate training and license to ride trails in the province. According to Denora, the FQCQ rep went on to say that there are roughly 394,000 ATVS registered in the province.
“And that’s only the one’s registered through the SAAQ,” Denora said, explaining that the vast majority of quad riders in the province have no safety training.
“Not everyone wants to join a quad club,” she added.
Denora recently spoke to Grade 5 and 6 students at Sunnyside Elementary School.
She prepared props to demonstrate for the students how the human brain could be impacted in an ATV accident, using a watermelon and a tennis ball inside a plastic container.
She also found her son’s old Buzz Lightyear doll to talk about safety gear.
“You can spend $2,000 on all this gear, but it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be safe. Also, the more you have on, the harder it is to move, to steer and control the machine,” she said. According to Denora, a driver has to shift their weight to steer, which almost gives the sensation of having to fight with a quad to steer it.
From the very beginning, Denora knew her stand was unpopular.
“A few guys have come on (the Facebook page) and given me royal hell,” she said.
While she will never ride one, Denora explained that her goal is not to prevent anyone from enjoying themselves.
“My mission is safety, to prevent lifealtering injuries and death,” she said.
“I want to give people the knowledge they need to safely use these machines. Motorcycles are less dangerous than ATVS,” she said, pointing out that they require safety training.
“I’m getting stonewalled, but I’m not giving up on it,” Denora said.
While the children she speaks to during school visits are receptive to what she is saying, Denora wants more adults to join the safety conversation, and help push for government legislation that makes sense.
Each province has its own quad clubs and its own set of rules.
In Newfoundland, Denora said the minimum allowable age to ride a quad is 13 years old.
“And you don’t need a helmet,” she added.
While Quebec is rated the safest province, there is still no mandated safety training outside of the FQCQ.
Activism was not Denora’s life plan, but the shock of her son’s death changed her course.
“This seems like the right thing to be doing,” she said.
“It’s a positive way of channeling my grief and anger over what happened.”
Denora is continuing her speaking engagements at local schools about ATV safety, and is looking for a translator to accompany her at French schools as well.
She is also maintaining the Quad Squad Quebec Facebook page, to share information about ATVS and push for mandated safety training.
In November, Denora presented scholarships to two students at the Lennoxville Vocational Training Centre, where Myles studied welding.