By Emma Clayton

ISN’T it time something was done to clear our roads of the menace that is the quad bike?

On farms and other private land these vehicles are acceptable, and in a controlled environment they can be fun even for youngsters to ride on.

But on highways and other public places they are dangerous and irritating, often driven carelessly and aggressively.

It was recently reported that a Yorkshire golf club faces a bill of up to £10,000 after quad bikes damaged two greens. The club was targeted by quad bikes last weekend, leaving members “distraught”. The club secretary said one green was destroyed and another damaged, two weeks ahead of the new season. One green is expected to be out of action for at least six months.

“They’ve been spinning around on them. They have rutted everything up,” he said, adding it was “soul-destroying” to see land groundstaff worked hard to maintain so damaged.

There is something nasty about quad bikes in public places. Usually heard before they’re seen, they make a deafening racket as they speed along main roads, residential streets and across parks and playing fields.

I recently approached a roundabout and three or four of the wretched vehicles suddenly appeared behind me, aggressively revving their engines as I waited to pull out. They roared past me, practically leaping over my car.

I once saw two quad bikes racing up and down a city centre road, laughing and shouting as they sped by. A few people complained to a patrolling police officer, but it seemed there was nothing he could do. A friend of mine once saw a quad bike roaring past a police station, doing wheelies!

These vehicles often come in packs, raced at speed by drivers without safety helmets, and I would say most are not designed for road use. Why are they allowed on public roads? Do they conform to regulations on tyres, lights etc? Are they taxed, insured, and do they comply with road vehicle legislation requirements? Some will, but I suspect many won’t.

Danger aside, there’s something ridiculous about grown men screeching about on these daft-looking vehicles. If you’re a buff surfer dude cruising along a beach track in the Californian sunshine, you can make a quad bike look cool. If you’re roaring up a suburban street with half your flabby backside hanging out of trackie bottoms, it’s not quite so cool...

THE four middle-aged Yorkshire mums who rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic have written a book, and now there’s talk of a film. I hope it comes off, as it’s a wonderful story of grit and female friendship.

With eight children between them, as well as fulltime jobs, they went from a Saturday morning rowing club to breaking a Guinness World Record as the oldest all-female crew to row across any ocean.

I had the pleasure of meeting two of the women last year. In their little boat they braved hurricanes, 60ft waves, shipping tankers, seasickness, hallucinations, claustrophobia, muscle cramps, sores, and the occasional shark. But there were glorious moments too; not least the vibrant sunsets, glittering stars and seeing whales close-up.

I can’t think of much worse than rowing across an ocean, battered and bruised by giant waves, but their story is hugely inspiring and reminds us it’s never too late for an adventure.