Coroner backs tougher ATV laws
Published 8:44 pm Monday, December 21, 2009
Lee County Coroner Carolyn Gillentine-Green says her work with people involved in all-terrain vehicle accidents has led her to back tougher laws for people who use ATVs.
Last year, Gillentine-Green pronounced 20-year-old Crystal Hooper and Hooper’s 5-year-old cousin dead after an ATV accident.
State Rep. Dannie Reed of Ackerman is planning to refile a bill in the upcoming session to require safety practices and encourage safety education.
A similar bill died in the last legislative session.
Reed’s proposed bill would require drivers of all-terrain vehicles on public roads or public land to wear a crash helmet. It also would set a minimum-age requirement. The number of riders allowed on a vehicle also would be limited.