Destination Adrenaline

When you have a family and own an ATV, it brings up an interesting predicament.  When do I allow my child to ride?  When are they ready to ride?  These are very important questions to consider before allowing your young loved ones to get on an ATV.

First of all, children ARE NOT too young to ride.  With the proper training,  protective gear and supervision, young adults can be prosperous on an ATV.  But like anything, the responsibility falls on the parents.  You need to make sure that your child has the right attitude regarding these machines and ALWAYS supervise.  I found a nice little article that breaks these rules down even further.

Probably the most important things you can do to keep your child safe on an ATV would be to teach them safety practices and give them the right attitude about ATV’s. If you assume that your child won’t view an ATV as a toy and will drive it responsibly with no instruction, you are probably asking for trouble. Taking an ATV safety course with your child is a great way to tech them safe driving practices, and in many places it is required before your youngster can ride.

Never assume that your child is going to be responsible right off the bat, they need to be taught how to responsibly drive and supervised to make sure they follow safety protocol.  If you drive an ATV as well, you should try to set a good example by always wearing your safety gear and riding safely.

If your child does not wear safety gear, then an ATV is too dangerous for them. Many ATV injuries involving children are preventable when the child had been wearing safety gear. Everyone who rides an ATV should always wear a helmet, goggles, and gloves. The best way to get your child to use safety gear is to wear it yourself and set a good example. Durable pants along with a jacket made for ATV riding are also good idea as they can protect from scrapes and abrasions. If you don’t intend to enforce the use of safety gear, then do not get your child an ATV as unprotected rides face the biggest injury risk.

I hope you take this advice seriously when children are involved.  With the right tools, children can have fun and be safe on an ATV.  Do you let your children ride by themselves?  Is there anything else I left off the list that could help you prepare for such an instance?  Leave a comment below and let us know!!

[Source: Creating New Kitchens]