Are Scooters Safe For Kids
Scooter is the most popular toys amongst the kids currently. But are scooters safe for kids? Well, the answer can be both yes and no. The scooter is safe as long as it is used respecting the scooter safety measures and in the righteous way of riding the kid scooter.
It can be unsafe when the wrong scooter has been chosen, and it is used without following any safety measures. Toy-related injuries have risen ridiculously in the last two decades. According to WebMD, new research shows that at every 3 minutes, one toy-related injury needs to be treated in the U.S. emergency departments.
The toy-related injuries have risen around 40% between 1990 and 2011 and the toy mostly blamed for leading to the injury is the scooters and other ride-on toys. As a report of Clinical Pediatrics, this simple toy has caused 42.5% of all toy-related injuries in the period.
The above statics may insist you not to buy a scooter for your kid. But one point you need to remember is if the scooter is safely operated then there should be no chance of injuries. Keep reading this content to know the safety measures and tips to keep the kid stay safe while riding a scooter.
What Age Can A Kid Ride A Scooter?
It’s hard to predict a certain age for the kids to ride a scooter as physical ability varies from child to child. Basically, there is no age limit for the kid to ride a scooter. As soon as the kid can walk steadily, he or she will be able to ride a scooter.
Typically, the age is around 2 or 3, and you will see it mentioned by the manufacturers in the kid scooters. It is an advantage to start any sports as early as possible. That is because it helps the kid to be naturally good at it and be a master in the long run.
It is also important to consider the motor skill of the kid while giving him the scooter as some kids can take a long time than the average to develop the motor skill. Apart from walking, if the kid is decent at the movements which involve large muscle group and require lots of energy, then the kid can safely ride a scooter.
These movements include running, jumping, kicking, climbing stairs, and hand-eye combination skills such as catching or throwing a ball. You must choose a suitable scooter according to the height and weight of the kid. He should be able to balance and ride the scooter without any sorts of difficulty.
2 Wheels Vs. 3 Wheels: Which One Is The Safest?
Depending on the number of wheels, there are two types of scooter. They are two-wheel scooters and three-wheel scooters. The number of wheels plays an important role when it comes to scooter safety. Though both types are safe for the kid, the three-wheelers scooter provides a better balance and stability.
The three-wheeled scooters come with self-balancing properties which allow the scooter to stand up on its own. As a result, the kids don’t need to be able to balance him on the scooter.
Moreover, most of the three-wheeled scooters come with a tilt and lean steering technology. It means the kids need to lean in the direction they want to go, and the wheels will turn in that direction. Besides, the three-wheeled scooters come with a larger deck space which also helps the kid to stay on it at ease while riding.
The two wheels scooters are not self-balancing. The kids need to balance on the scooter from their own. As a result, those scooters are not considered as a good choice as the first scooter for a kid. However, if the kid has experience in bicycling or related activities, then he or she should be able to balance on 2-wheeled scooters easily.
The kid needs to turn the handlebar to move the scooter in the direction he wants to go while riding a two-wheeled scooter. It is a little bit harder when compared to lean-to-steer technology.
How To Ride A Kid Scooter Safely
The first thing you require to do is teaching the kid to ride the scooter safely after buying the scooter. Here are some easy steps to follow to teach the proper way of riding the scooter to your kid:
- Start with the basics. Tell him the fundamentals of operating the scooter. Also, let him know about different parts of the scooter and encourage him to use all the parts.
- Kids are good at copying. You can show the kid by using kid scooter or show them a video tutorial of scooter riding. They can understand the mechanism easily in this way.
- After teaching him the basics, let him know about the process of balancing on the scooter. You can start by encouraging him to stay on the deck with both feet and hold the handlebar. After that, ask him to put one foot on the ground while holding the handlebar. Then you can ask him to ground off without dropping. In case they need support, stay with them all the time during the training.
- Ask him to practice indoors at first. Then you can consider taking them outside based on his progress. Never allow him to ride independently in the outdoor if they are not adequately trained.
- If the kid is scared to ride the scooter, then there is a way to get rid of it. Strap the scooter and ask him to stand on it. Then pull the scooter around the house and let him experience the ride. In this way, the kid will be able to cut off the fear.
- Encourage the kid to wear safety equipment such as helmet, elbow guard, wrist guard, and kneecaps to ensure the 100% safety.
Scooter is such a toy that can help the kids to enjoy immense happiness, and at the same time, it enables them to master motor skills which benefit them in the next life. However, it can be injurious too if the toy is not used correctly. Hopefully, the above tips will help your kid to enjoy a decent and safe ride on the scooter.
References
- A Leading Cause of Toy-Linked Injuries in Kids – WebMD
- This Toy Is to Blame For A Huge Surge In Child Injuries – Time
- Toy-Related Injuries Among Children Treated In US Emergency Departments, 1990-2011 – Sagepub Journals
