Although some people decry the recent upsurge in the number of Health and Safety regulations, there can be no doubt that the intention behind the increase is a positive one. Of course rough-and-tumble activity is fun, but the last thing that anyone wants to see is something fun turning into something that genuinely endangers health or life. Taking small knocks and brushing them off is something that is part of childhood, to be expected and embraced – but there is a difference between tripping while running and falling off a motorized vehicle.

The health and safety aspect of riding a Mini ATV is divided into a number of different aspects. There is the preparatory aspect, which entails making sure your child is appropriately dressed to ride an ATV. They may not be going very fast when compared with your everyday motorbike or off-road bike, but if they come off they can still land with a bump so it is essential to ensure they are wearing safety gear. A helmet is necessary, because if you are thrown from any kind of bike a blow to the head can be dangerous.

Additionally, it is important to coach good practice. There is a lot of this that can be attributed to common sense, but still needs to be taught to children. You wouldn’t let your kid learn to ride their pedal bicycle by trial and error unsupervised. Matters like leaning into turns – essential when dealing with the increased amount of torque that a mini ATV provides – need to be covered before you can feel at all safe letting your kid go any faster.