Published: May 09, 2008 10:00 am         

Editorial: Are ATVs for kids the crime?

There are "I don't believe that" stories. And then there are the others.

A 2-year-old boy left alone in the yard of a Charlevoix County house climbed on to a child-sized Suzuki four-wheeler Sunday morning, started it up and drove over the edge of a five-foot cellar embankment (Read the full story, click here).

The child suffered a severely broken jaw and other facial injuries; he was airlifted to a hospital in Flint, where he was listed in fair condition Tuesday.

There's no sense in piling on the parents, who are surely suffering their own agonies. But it has to be said that things like this don't just happen. They are the result of a series of bad decisions, incredibly bad luck and the fact they make ATVs small enough for a 2-year-old to drive.

The ATV was designed for children 6-12, but why in the world does a 6-year-old need an ATV? Or a mini motorcyle? Sure, they're a thrill, but so is skydiving and taking a bobsled run. Wouldn't it be better to wait for these kids to grow up before exposing them to potentially life-threatening pastimes?

Law enforcement officials have said no criminal charges will be filed.