I won’t live on a race course
Arrive Alive: They are designed to be used by a single operator in off-road areas, not on public roads.
James du Randt who resides in Kiewiet Street, Helikon Park, is frustrated, annoyed and fed up with teenagers riding their quad bikes throughout the week and weekend.
Du Randt says this has been going on for the last six months where teenagers on the corner of Condor Drive and Kiewiet Street make a loud noise and do not consider residents in the area. He says they ride next to his house on the lawn after he tries to keep it neat and tidy.
He also attempts to grow the grass back, but with quad bikers riding over it all the time it is simply impossible.
Du Randt claims the quad bikers start in Condor Drive, turn into Kiewiet Street, across from Westcol College, on their way to Droogeheuwel. For those who did not know, Condor Drive is a long stretch of road that begins in Finsbury and ends in Helikon Park. And when du Randt approaches quad bikers they allegedly swear at him and continue riding.
I have brought this to the attention of the Randfontein Local Municipality but, nothing has been done as yet,” said du Randt.
“I pay the garden service to maintain my yard, inside and outside. Why should quad bikers have no consideration for my property and ride on sidewalks just as they please? The noise is also another factor, especially on a Sunday. Isn’t this supposed to be a day of rest?”
Du Randt now has gone as far as cordoning off his yard to keep quad bikers out.
Arrive Alive on quad bike safety said quad bikers should be considerate and follow the rules of the road and the dangers there of.
“All Terrain Vehicles (ATV’s) – which are motorised vehicles with three or four wheels and large low-pressure tires – in South Africa mostly referred to as quad bikes were originally built in Japan for use in isolated, mountainous regions.
They are designed to be used by a single operator in off-road areas, not on public roads.”
Although quad biking is a fun and adventurous sport, it also has the danger factor. Some statistics on children riding quad bikes revealed approximately 500 000 children were injured in the US riding ATVs between 1982 to 2002. The number of ATV accidents, injuries and deaths has continued to climb every year since 1997. In 2000, children under 16 accounted for approximately 40 per cent of the total ATV related injuries and deaths.”
It’s said further that ATV related injuries are six times more likely to result in hospitalisation and 12 times more likely to result in fatalities when compared to bicycle-related injuries.
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