In response to Elizabeth Morgan’s letter (BDN, June 27) regarding the safety risk to children who ride all-terrain vehicles, I feel compelled to respond as the young boy in the original photo (June 24) is my son, Tommy. Not that a year makes a difference, considering her argument, but he is 10, not 9. The other thing, not made clear by the photo is that Tommy’s ATV is a 125; a smaller model, better suited for children, and it is governed, meaning that we, as parents, can control the speed.

He never rides without a helmet, after dark, when we are not home to supervise and he is restricted to our yard. We are aware of the risks and the statistics quoted but we feel safer having him bee-bop around the yard rather than ride his bike down the road with the traffic.

It’s up to the parents to decide as only they know their kids and whether or not they an handle the responsibility.

Lynn Reed

Bangor