For some families, riding motorcycles is a tradition. This means that, quite often, one of the first vehicles that a young person gets is going to be a scooter or a motorcycle. At the same time that many people start out on two wheeled vehicles, there are others who feel that the world might be a better place if people weren’t allowed to get motorcycle endorsements until they were at least 25. There are some good reasons that parents should make sure that their kids on two wheels drive responsibly.
School Zones
If your teenager takes their motorcycle or scooter, remember that they’ll most likely be dealing with high density traffic in the areas around the school. That means that they’ll have to be prepared to deal with cars merging, cutting in front of them, braking suddenly and so forth. Be sure they understand how dangerous this slow-moving traffic can be to a motorcyclist!
Safety Gear
Helmets should always be worn on a motorcycle, even if the driver is only going around the block or through a parking lot. Falling off a bike in a parking lot is no less deadly than falling off of a bike on the highway, and your son or daughter needs to understand this.
Youth and Impulsiveness
Texas allows people who are 15 to get an endorsement for a motorcycle that is 250cc’s or less in size. A 200cc motorcycle can easily get up to 40-45mph—probably faster—with a light rider on it. Even a very experienced rider can hurt themselves on a bike of this size just as much as they could on a 1,000cc racing bike. Be sure you give your son or daughter a lot of instruction on not trying to outdrive their motorcycle and on the fact that laying a bike down at a slow speed can still cause devastating injuries, and that they need to be careful.
Unfortunately, motorcyclists are hit and killed all the time by negligent drivers. Motorcyclists have the same right to the road as do regular drivers, and this means that there’s no reason that they should be put at risk in this way. If you or a loved one is harmed on a bike in a Dallas car accident, contact a car accident lawyer. They may be able to help you seek compensation in a court of law from a jury award or a settlement offer.
