Quebec Transport Minister François Bonnardel tabled a bill last week demanding better off-road vehicle (ORV) safety practices, which calls for a mandatory training program and a valid driver’s license or permit, much to the pleasure of Ngaire DeNora.
“It’s about time that they’re going to take that into consideration because those machines are so dangerous and people don’t know what they’re getting into when they go to ride them,” she said.
The Stanstead resident has been fighting for stiffer safety measures imposed on ORV’s ever since her son, Myles, lost his life in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident three years ago. Monday marks the anniversary of his death.
“I had no idea they were as dangerous as they are until I started researching them and then I was completely shocked out of my mind that there wasn’t mandatory training for them like we have for a car,” DeNora said.
She runs a Facebook group called MAQ-People For Mandatory Safety Training for Quads and a Facebook page called The “Flip” Side of ATVs/Quads. She posts regularly about ATV-related news, which, unfortunately, often deals with accidents and deaths.
Recently, she made her views known about a Vermont law that passed allowing ORVs to ride through the streets of Newport, which borders Stanstead. According to DeNora, she received a lot of flack online for her comments demanding mandatory training.
“For some reason they think it’s ridiculous. Well, they have it for motorcycles, they didn’t used to have it for motorcycles, but now they do. It’s like a cult, it’s like a belief system, it’s like Trump supporters,” she said, adding that she had hoped to avoid using that name.
At 24 years old, her son perished while riding his quad, a four-wheel ATV, in Saskatchewan. Myles lost control of his vehicle before hitting a fence post. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died of brain injuries sustained in the crash.
DeNora has been on a mission to educate the public about the dangers of riding an ATV without proper training. Her son was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. He had not been drinking and there were no signs of excessive speeding.
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