Kids love it when their parents invite them to ride in their car. They enjoy the thrills that come with the experience, including the ability to watch how a car is driven. However, do you know what most kids look forward to? Riding in a motorcycle!

Kids love motorcycles due to their semblance with the typical bicycle they own. Often, you find them fantasizing about holding a motorcycle’s handlebars and riding into the sunset.

While allowing your kid to ride your motorcycle may seem far-fetched due to the risks involved, you can always give them a chance to experience a short trip on your bike. To do that, you’ll need to be wary of motorcycle accidents—which can be fatal—and adopt appropriate measures to keep your kids safe.

Here are some of those measures.

Motorcycle Injury Statistics

Car accidents are fatal, but not as fatal as a motorcycle. The former is less deadly (compared to a motorcycle accident) because it boasts of several protective features like a seat belt, airbags, and a frame that protects passengers from impact.

Young rides are often at risk of sustaining severe injuries in a motorcycle accident. In fact, statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates that:

• In a recent year, 93,000 people were injured in motorcycle accidents, and almost 5,000 were killed. 
• Over 125 of all individuals killed in motorcycle accidents were children under the age of 19 years
• 60% of motorcycle riders hospitalized were under licensing age.

These unfortunate data are an indication that your child is at risk of injury every time they ride a motorcycle, whether with you or alone.

Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

Like other road accidents, motorcycle accidents result from several avoidable factors. Because of how motorcycles are designed, they do not protect a ride in a collision. Also, bad roads and terrible weather pose a greater risk to motorcyclists than automobile passengers. There is also the case of disobedience to traffic rules. Many of the auto and motorcycle crashes that occur boil down to the disobedience of drivers and motorcyclists to traffic signs.

Ensure you enlighten your kids regarding the causes of motorcycle accidents and how not to fall victim. Also, consider these tips to protect your kids.

How to Protect Your Kid from Injury While Riding on a Motorcycle

No one wishes that their kids get involved in an accident, be it at school, at home, on their bicycle, or a motorcycle. However, the gospel truth is that one cannot completely eradicate the risk of being involved in a motorcycle crash.

Of course, there are certain measures you can adopt to protect your kid from severe injury while riding on a motorcycle. These measures are:

1. Make sure your child wears a well-fitted helmet regularly.

Unlike automobiles, motorcycles don’t come in designs that enclose the rider. So while a helmet may be useless for a car driver, it’ll come in handy for a motorcyclist, especially someone like your kid.

Always ensure that your child wears a well-fitted helmet regularly; it’ll help protect their head from traumatic brain injuries, which often have devastating effects on victims. In addition, try to purchase a new helmet when your kid outgrows the old one.

2. Ride responsibly

Be careful when riding your motorcycle, especially with your kid on board. Don’t speed or ignore traffic signs, drink and ride, or drive carelessly.

Also, always ride with your child behind you and not in front. If you end up as the victim of a motorcycle accident and are confused about the next step to take, ensure you seek a motorcycle accident attorney legal advice pronto. This professional will tell you what to do next to ensure that you and anyone involved in the crash get compensated,

3. Teach motorcycle safety to your child

There are safety rules that come with riding a motorcycle. It’ll help you teach your kids these rules to reduce the risk of them being involved in a motorcycle accident. Ensure you teach them:

How to:

• Approach the motorcycle
• Get on a motorcycle
• Ride as a passenger

4 . Buy safety equipment for your kid.

Teaching your kids motorcycle safety isn’t enough to keep them safe from potential accidents. You need to purchase necessary safety equipment to reduce your kid’s chances of sustaining serious injuries in the event of a crash.

Common safety equipment to buy is:

• Belt or harness
• Jeans and boots (without laces)

A belt and a harness will secure your kid to your waist, preventing them from falling off your bike should you speed past a bump or make a sharp turn. Your child doesn’t have to worry about holding you with these safety tools. They are designed to keep your kids attached to you while you ride.

Conclusion

While giving your kid the opportunity to ride with you on your motorcycle, ensure you prioritize their safety. Purchase the necessary safety equipment they need. And always drive your motorcycle carefully when taking your kid on a ride. Finally, contact an injury lawyer if you get involved in a crash and are confused about what to do.