Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Teach Your Children About Motorcycle Safety
As any biker can tell you, the only ones who like motorcycles more than bikers are children. Kids love to look at motorcycles, touch them, play with them, and ride on them. For some, the lifelong love of motorcycles starts with a motorcycle they were attached to in childhood.
For children whose parents are motorcyclists, the parents' love of motorcycle often transfers to the children as well. Biker parents usually encourage their child's interest in bikes, whether it is by taking their kids for a ride, buying them motorcycle toys, apparel and accessories, or even electric motorized motorcycles for the kids to ride on their own, or taking them to motorcycle events where thousands of fans meet and share their experiences.
Biker culture can start in the family, and as the love for motorcycle grows in their children, parents should also remember to teach them about motorcycle safety. Not only should parents tell their children about rider safety, but also about the dangers of motorcycle accidents.
Motorcycle Safety for Children
It is never too early to teach your child about how to be safe on a motorcycle. Even kids at a young age need to understand motorcycle safety. Responsible parents can feel safe to take their kids for a motorcycle ride as long as they understand the risks and take the proper precautions. Unfortunately, too many motorcyclists don’t think it through before a child climbs on the bike.
Disaster Scenario
Here’s a typical disaster in the making, which all motorcyclists should try to avoid.
A motorcyclist takes a kid for ride placing the child in front of him, with a helmet too large for the child's head, while the child tries to hold onto the gas tank or the rider’s legs for balance. This way, the child is in the way of the rider’s control of the bike.
- What do you think is going to happen if the rider must stop quickly?
Will he grab the child with one arm, and probably lose control of the bike, or will he keep control of the bike and watch the kid fly off the bike?
Neither option bodes well for the child. In addition, if the kid is ejected from the motorcycle the oversized helmet will offer no protection – it is more likely that the helmet will come off the child's head.
- How to avoid this disaster?
Do not let a child ride with you if their feet cannot reach the footpegs. Always make sure the child is wearing an appropriately sized helmet, and be extra careful when riding on a motorcycle with a child. This is no time for experimenting maneuvers or showing off in front of the kid. Safety comes first.
Other Things to Remember
Hot Pipes
Teach your kids that motorcycle pipes are very hot and can cause very bad burns. Children should stay away from motorcycles that were recently ridden, and be very careful before touching a motorcycle.
If you have small children, it is best to keep your bike covered at all times.
Playing Around a Parked Motorcycle
Teach your children not to play around a parked motorcycle because the motorcycle can fall on them. If a motorcycle falls on a small child, it would be impossible for them to move it, so it is best to prevent such an accident than see your child get seriously injured.
Motorcycle Events for Kids
Take your kids on a field trip to a local motorcycle dealer or a motorcycle event for kids where they can learn from other adults about motorcycle safety.
Avoid Motorcycle Accidents
As a biker parent, you will need to be doubly careful on the road since a motorcycle accident always results in the worse outcome for the motorcyclist, as opposed to the driver.
Watch out for drivers, wildlife, dangerous road conditions, inclement weather, and other factors which can lead to an accident.
If you have been a victim in a motorcycle crash in Massachusetts, talk to a Boston motorcycle accident attorney at the Kiley Law Group for a FREE legal evaluation of your accident case.
Call 1-888-208-1695 for a Free Consultation today.
