nobody would have survived this accident, not a boy and probably not a man either...
maybe some would like their children in child restraint seats until their 21....but a society grows strong,confident leaders by letting their children grow up,not hide...
Are you familiar with why the law defines the concept of statutory rape? It is because CHILDREN under a certain age (varies by jurisdiction but usually 16 - 18) are not concidered mature enough to judge the consequences of their actions. Same principle here. CHILDREN are not usually wise enough to make life and death decisions appropriately. They do stupid things - thankfully most of the time they get away with it. Requiring safety equipment like a padded vest and helmet for underage rodeo riders seems like common sense to me. Under 18 wear the equipment over 18 do what you want. The fact is that children are not as competent as adults in making these sorts of decision.
but a society grows strong,confident leaders by letting their children grow up,not hide...
Society doesn't grow anything by letting children kill themselves.