focusonsafety
by Connor Raborn
remembering Andrew
remembering ATV safety
Andrew Kennedy rode all-terrain
vehicles his whole life, giving him plenty
of experience in operating these types of
machines. However, an accident following a
routine maneuver resulted in his death from
a head injury in May 2016.
ATVs such as four-wheelers and dirt bikes
– and also golf carts – see an increased use
with the arrival of summer, increasing the
need for knowledge on the safe use of these
vehicles as well. Melissa Kennedy, Andrew’s
mother, has become an advocate for such
safety awareness.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a golf cart or
a four-wheeler or a car. If it has wheels,
you have to treat it with respect,” Melissa
Kennedy said. The size or type of ATV,
the environment where one rides the ATV,
and the capability of the person operating
Andrew Kennedy with mom, Melissa.
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the ATV – none of these change the fact
that an accident can happen, according to
Kennedy.
“There’s a mentality that ‘it won’t
happen to me,’” Kennedy said. “Andrew
was strong as an ox, healthy as a horse. Did
he get up and walk away? No.” Andrew’s
accident happened when he put his vehicle
in reverse, something he had done many
times before, but the vehicle reversed faster
than he intended.
Someone on an ATV should constantly
be aware, pay attention and avoid becoming
distracted by looking at scenery or talking
to anyone, Kennedy said. ATV drivers
should not show off or execute intentionally
dangerous maneuvers.
Another key safety issue arises from
children having ATVs that are too large for
them. Although parents may be hesitant to
invest in a vehicle that their children may
outgrow in a short time, it is very important
that drivers operate ATVs appropriate to
their size.
One should approach even something
like a golf cart, which has a relatively
slow maximum speed, with the proper
precaution. A person can fall out of a cart if
hit by another cart, and the top heavy make
of golf carts presents potential dangers,
Kennedy said.
An accident can also happen regardless
of where one drives an ATV. Andrew’s
accident happened on family property, not
on the road or in a mud pit.
The Kennedys’ home of Washington
Parish and much of the South treat
ATV riding as something of a tradition,
exposing children to it early. Kennedy, a