Controversy over Oceano Dunes ATVs after accident

Posted: Sep 6, 2010 9:18 PM by Nancy Chen
Updated: Sep 7, 2010 4:57 AM

It's a Labor Day tradition for many: BBQ, ATV and R-and-R, but 16-year-old Tyler Schilhabel's accident at the Oceano Dunes raises the question: just how safe are ATV's there?

The Oceano Dunes is the only state park where vehicles can go on the beach. There were six accidents there this holiday weekend involving ATV's.

Park rangers say riding on ATV's is safe as long as you follow guidelines, but others say that's not the case.

"It is very dangerous," said Lucia Casalinuovo, who is an activist with the local group Safe Beach Now. "The off-roaders go up those dunes and go down into the dunes, and they crash on top of each other."

There isn't a speed limit on the dunes, and one shop owner says his ATV's can go up to a hundred miles an hour. That makes for what Casalinuovo calls a dangerous environment for both people on and off ATV's.

Park rangers say the dunes are actually safer this year than in years past because of increased patrols, and that riders should remember to follow safe speeds and wear their helmets.

"Peace officers issued 60 citations, so I think our preventative measures are really taking effect and making people operate their vehicles more safely," said Brent Marshall, the chief park ranger for the Oceano Dunes.

Robert Garcia says he takes his kids, ages five and seven, off-roading and follows one basic rule.

"If you ride too hard, you fall hard," Garcia said.

Marshall says ATV riders should exercise caution.

"It's not dangerous at all if you use safe speed, operate the vehicle safely, follow the ASI safety guidelines, have a safety certificate and ride with a partner," he said.

He says one result of increased patrols is increased citations. About sixty of them were issued at the Dunes this holiday weekend, mostly alcohol-related.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the number of children killed in off-road vehicles accidents has increased by 88 percent over the past ten years.