Kids and motorsports: If parents ride motorcycles and plan a tour almost every weekend in the summer, it usually doesn't take long for the kids to want to join them. It is therefore understandable that a child, who is rather curious by nature, would want to experience being on a motorcycle for themselves. The following guide shows how children can be accustomed to riding in a car and what options there are for letting them take the wheel themselves.
Introduce children to motorsport gently
Parents often feel unsure from what age you should introduce your child to motocross, because here the focus is not only on the fun factor, but also the Safety.
At what age can children start driving a car?
It is therefore understandable that a child, who is rather curious by nature, would like to gain the experience of sitting on a motorcycle. For many parents, however, the question arises as to when it is old enough to be able to ride along. This sport is after all not entirely harmless. Even if the driver is driving safely, it can always happen that he or she is hit by another road user in an Accident gets involved.
Children should be aware of the danger
© Pavel Losevsky – Fotolia.Com
This sport is therefore risky and the children should be aware of the danger. Nevertheless, they are unlikely to back down from the requirement to ride along
To be allowed. Depending on how well they like this, they may want to do their own Try out driving skills. As unlikely as the latter sounds, it's possible. The following guide outlines how to get children used to riding in a car and what options are available to let them get behind the wheel themselves.
Finding the right time to take a ride
There's a reason children shouldn't ride: If they too small are not able to reach the footrests and, in addition not enough power Have to be able to hold on to the driver at speed. If they are tall enough to reach the footrests, they usually have enough power. Therefore, it is best to simply put the child in the passenger seat and see if the legs are long enough. In this way, the child sees directly why he or she is not allowed to ride – and usually understands this, explains Jürgen Bente of the German Road Safety Council. If it reaches the footrests safely and can also hold on with sufficient force, it's time to look at the suitable equipment for the young person to think about.
Jacket and pants made of leather or textile
The biggest mistake parents can make is putting their child in their ski anorak and using it to get on the bike. If there is an accident and the child slips over the road, this creates a lot of friction and thus heat. The material of the anorak is not heat resistant, so it can burn into the child's skin, increasing the risk of injury. It is better to directly High quality leather or textile clothing to put with abrasion-resistant fiber. The latter can be partially adjusted in width, so that the child can be bought a jacket that is a little too big. This allows it to grow into it and not have to buy a new one every year or two. However, the equipment should not be too loose; in this case, the protective effect would no longer be given.
Buying helmet and gloves suitable for children
A home is big and heavy – it is often not made for a child's head and especially a child's neck. So that the offspring does not get tensions, here should be a accurately fitting motorcycle helmet for children to be bought. A new purchase every couple of years is necessary; parents should also not to fall back on used goods. With this they can never know whether a fall has not already caused fine hairline cracks, which in the event of an accident cancel out the protective effect of the helmet. The gloves should also be adapted to the children's hands. Be prepared to ride a motorcycle. To take the winter gloves for it, according to the ADAC not advisable. Due to the smooth outer surface and the soft lining inside, the children have only little grip on it and can't hold on properly. But this is essential so they can sit safely in the passenger seat.
Let children drive themselves
Once children have taken a liking to the sport, they will want to ride themselves. Many parents think that they have to wait until they are 16 or 18 to be able to get an appropriate driver's license. But there is another possibility: the pocket bikes. These are motorcycles that are no longer than 1.10 meters and no more than 50 centimeters high and wide. A road registration they do not have, but can be used on various, closed tracks driven, describes autoscout24.De. There are different classes in the races; in the first two start children up to 16 years, in class 3 are drivers 16 years and older. So the offspring can try riding a motorcycle even before they get their first license. The ADAC offers special for interested parents and children Taster courses to.