I took my kids to the scooters park the other day as they are both mad about riding their scooters and checking out all the other kids scooters to see who has the latest must have scooter or accessories. Whilst there I saw this kid perform the most amazing 360 flips, I was in awe and he was only about 10 years of age.
However whilst he was fantastic at performing his flips and various other scooter tricks what I was struck by was the fact that he had no safety gear on what so ever. Not even a helmet and every time he did a flip my heart would go in my mouth as if he didn't make it he would have landed most likely on his head which would of most likely result in a serious head injury. Just looking around the skate park that day I was amazed at just how many kids are not properly protected when they go out riding. I know to some of the older generation knee pads and elbow pads can just seem un cool, but I think if you were to ask the real professional stunt riders they would agree that safety is a top priority and riding a scooter or skateboard should be no different than riding a bike when it come to safety.
What to wear.
Helmets are a must when it comes to riding, as a head injury has to be one of the most serious injuries anyone can sustain, we can't see from the outside just what has happened on the inside with head injuries. When buying a Helmet you must make sure it fits the riders head correctly. It should be level on the riders head with only a couple of centimetres width between the eyebrow and helmet brim. The strap should be against the throat and the back of the lower jaw and not be loose so that the helmet can move around. I would definitely recommend buying a helmet that conforms to the UK current standard which is BS EN 1078:1997.
If the rider is going to be performing tricks and stunts or is a young rider then Knee and Elbow pads are also worth buying. Most have high density foam inside a protective plastic or material shell, and whilst they may not seem the most comfortable thing to wear to start with and may seem to restrict movement, once you get used to them and wear them in you will feel strange without them. Wrist guards are also worn by the professional.
Is your Scooter Safe?
I have got my kids into a routine of regularly checking over their scooters, especially if we are going to be going to the skate park. By this I mean checking for any loose bolts or nuts and tightening if necessary. Steering tubes should be the correct height for the rider and handlebars secure. If the rider has a folding scooter make sure the locks are properly working and fasten tight, last thing you want is a scooter to collapse in the middle of trying to perform a stunt.
Wheels should be looked after to make sure they give a smooth ride and to prolong the life of the wheel. They should always be wiped dry if they get wet and lubricated every so often. If bearing or wheels are worn these should be replaced to maintain safe riding. Kids Scooters do take a lot of weight and pressure from jumps and stunt and are thrown around, so making sure the scooter is safe before riding will help improve the safety of the rider.
Check your surroundings
Getting young riders aware of what's going on around them when riding will set them up for when they are older riders. I have lost count of the number of times I have nearly been run over by a scooter doing the school run. It's important as with riding a bike to teach the rider the importance of road safety as scooters can be nifty little things and when it comes to crossing roads riders should stop, get off their scooter and push it across. Riders also need to be aware of gravel, sand or bumps in the ground all of which could make the rider lose control and fall. Teach young riders to be considerate of pedestrians, especially when riding on the pavements.
New riders should take time to get to know their scooter, how it handles and breaks before trying anything adventurous. If you get a new scooter this would also apply, as my son found out the hard way when he changed his JD Bug scooter for a Slamm Rage scooter and fell off on his first go, as JD Bug breaks are quite soft, whereas Slamm breaks are more instantaneous and quicker to stop the rider. Luckily he was safety geared up. To become awesome at riding and performing stunts it's all about control, taking it slowly, building yourself up to greater thing, but in the process of all that safety should be the number one priority.
Visit Kids Scooters for a great range of safety gear and scooters, where we have all the latest from the popular JD Bug Scooter to Slamm, Razor, Madd and Micro at great buy it now prices.