After investigating motocross injuries, the Consumer
Products Safety Commission ruled to ban motocross!
This hasn't happened yet and lets make sure it doesn't.
We need to regulate our sport before the
government does.
Motocross is a rough, tough, and exciting sport, that
for years I have enjoyed and encouraged youths to
become involved in. However, I no longer encourage
them because of the way the sport has evolved.
Tracks have become too dangerous. The spectacular
jumps are geared towards the crowd and have greatly
increased the rider's risk and serious injuries. We have
gotten what we have always wanted with SuperCross
and TV coverage but this has ruined the sport for
beginners. Pro riders are at a very high risk now and
by mid-season many of the factory semi's only have
one healthy rider left.
The positive aspects of this sport need to be saved.
Motocross is fun and it gives young riders something
to focus on. Beginning and senior riders are not
staying in the sport because they are having difficulties
with the tracks. If these guys aren't having fun, they're
going to find something else to do. The main thing that
we need to do is stand back and look in from the
outside to try and save a sport that we love.
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I've spent time in several emergency rooms with
amateur and expert riders. At one national, the hospital
told me they had six broken femurs and riders were
also being transported to another hospital. The injured
beginner rider I was with had broken his foot badly on
a jump that he was afraid to double. He came up so
short that the frame cased the top of the jump and the
impact shattered his foot. I think that we are all at
blame. Motorcycle manufacturers, promoters,
aftermarket manufacturers, riders, and parents should
all beconcerned about MX safety. The promoters are
turning their heads and the AMA has no teeth
whatsoever. On amateur day they are signing up pro
riders instead of worrying about amateur safety. On
pro day they are worried about the number of
spectators instead of pro rider safety. Promoters
haven't designed the track safely, they have designed it
to be spectacular, and we've got to wonder what the
medical industry thinks. When is somebody like the
medical industry or the Consumer Products Safety
Commission going to take a look at us and regulate or
eliminate motocross? Remember three wheel ATV's
were banned!
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