Looking to get a motorized scooter for your kid? It is so important to not underestimate the power of these vehicles and overestimate how "capable" your child is.
There is always the possibility of getting hurt no matter how careful you are at watching them or training them.
According to the Canada Safety Council, the number of collisions involving gas-powered motorized scooters capable of traveling up to 70 km/h (45 mph) - Limited Speed Motorcycles - doubled in Ontario, Canada's most populous province, between 1999 and 2003.
A six-year Ohio study of children 15 years or younger admitted to hospital with injuries sustained from riding motorized scooters found that over one-third were riding in the street and over half were not wearing helmets, resulting in 22 percent of the patients suffering head injuries.
Because of these statistics both Canadian and American officials have sought to regulate how much power children should be allowed to handle, where they can drive these vehicles, and mandatory safety equipment.
It is generally agreed and legislated that children under the age of 16 cannot drive a gas-powered motorized scooter on the road.
It has to be off-road.
Those 16 years and older may drive on the road, but they must be licensed and many states and provinces require them to take safety and driving courses.
While many provinces and states also require that scooter operators wear a helmet, it is not law everywhere.
Yet.
But, to minimize the potential of an accident, make sure you review with your child the rules of the road and the specific rules that pertain to the operation of the scooter specifically (these vary from province to province and state to state).
Also, enroll your child in a scooter operator course if one if provided in your area.
To minimize the potential of injuries, ensure that your child wears a helmet - a proper helmet, one designed for motorcycles, not a bicycle helmet.
Your child will be travelling at a speed much greater than he or she would be on a bicycle, and with more speed and more power comes the potential for greater injuries because of that speed.
Adults are recommended to wear protective clothing, gloves and goggles.
It is probably not a bad idea for kids to adopt this same practice.
Always remember that while kids motorized scooters are a whole lot of fun and we shouldn't be depriving our children of the countless hours of excitement they can have with them, that safety first is always the best policy.
There is always the possibility of getting hurt no matter how careful you are at watching them or training them.
According to the Canada Safety Council, the number of collisions involving gas-powered motorized scooters capable of traveling up to 70 km/h (45 mph) - Limited Speed Motorcycles - doubled in Ontario, Canada's most populous province, between 1999 and 2003.
A six-year Ohio study of children 15 years or younger admitted to hospital with injuries sustained from riding motorized scooters found that over one-third were riding in the street and over half were not wearing helmets, resulting in 22 percent of the patients suffering head injuries.
Because of these statistics both Canadian and American officials have sought to regulate how much power children should be allowed to handle, where they can drive these vehicles, and mandatory safety equipment.
It is generally agreed and legislated that children under the age of 16 cannot drive a gas-powered motorized scooter on the road.
It has to be off-road.
Those 16 years and older may drive on the road, but they must be licensed and many states and provinces require them to take safety and driving courses.
While many provinces and states also require that scooter operators wear a helmet, it is not law everywhere.
Yet.
But, to minimize the potential of an accident, make sure you review with your child the rules of the road and the specific rules that pertain to the operation of the scooter specifically (these vary from province to province and state to state).
Also, enroll your child in a scooter operator course if one if provided in your area.
To minimize the potential of injuries, ensure that your child wears a helmet - a proper helmet, one designed for motorcycles, not a bicycle helmet.
Your child will be travelling at a speed much greater than he or she would be on a bicycle, and with more speed and more power comes the potential for greater injuries because of that speed.
Adults are recommended to wear protective clothing, gloves and goggles.
It is probably not a bad idea for kids to adopt this same practice.
Always remember that while kids motorized scooters are a whole lot of fun and we shouldn't be depriving our children of the countless hours of excitement they can have with them, that safety first is always the best policy.
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