Your kids may not be old enough to drive a car, but they may have reached an age where they can start go-karting. But that doesn’t mean accidents can’t happen behind the wheels of these smaller vehicles. Follow these five safety tips when your kids are go-karting.
Get Them the Proper Safety Gear
If you determine that your kids are old enough to start go-karting, provide them with the proper safety gear, including helmets that will protect their heads in a crash. You can also provide them with gloves, knee and elbow pads, and neck braces to keep them safe.
Make Sure They Dress Appropriately
Another safety tip to follow when kids are go-karting is to ensure they dress appropriately. Although you may have outfitted them with safety gear, they should not wear shirts featuring flapping tails or baggy pants. Unfortunately, the moving parts of the go-kart can catch the loose fabric and cause an injury.
Explain Driving Rules to Them
Someday, you will need to teach your child the rules of the road. For now, you can explain to them how to be safe on a go-kart track. They must understand what can happen if they accelerate too fast or drive recklessly.
If they ignore these rules, take away their go-kart privileges temporarily so that they understand the consequences of their actions. Losing these benefits is a much better outcome than them hurting themselves or others due to their recklessness.
Check the Safety Harness
A safe go-kart should have a safety harness to strap the driver in. Take the time to inspect this harness regularly to make sure that it doesn’t show any signs of damage. The cart’s connection points should be secure, and its latches should hold. Otherwise, the kart is likely not safe for your child to drive.
Don’t Allow Any Food or Beverages in the Kart
Finally, ensure your child does not get into the go-kart with any food or beverages. Otherwise, they may become distracted while driving, which can result in an accident. They need to keep their hands on the wheel.
Your child will be safer when they follow these rules for driving a go-kart. You will be able to ease some of your worries and let your child enjoy their time driving.
