ATVs are not toys, and your child needs to understand that.
It’s Your Decision
One of the first questions parents need to ask themselves is whether their child is old enough, big enough, and mature enough to handle an ATV. You know your child better than anyone and you are best suited to evaluate your child’s readiness to ride an ATV. ATVs are not toys, and your child needs to understand that.
Are They Ready?
The ATV Safety Institute has developed an ATV Readiness Checklist to help parents evaluate whether or not their child is ready to learn how to ride an ATV. There is no sure way to predict whether your child will be able to ride an ATV safely. Only you as the parent can decide if your child has the capabilities and qualities to safely operate an ATV.
The decision is yours. The ATV Safety Institute makes no suggestions as to how many of the abilities outlined in the ATV Readiness Checklist are necessary, nor the degree of ability that your child should have.
For more information about evaluating your kids, order the ASI publication Parents, Youngsters and ATVs.
If you decide your child is ready to ride an ATV, make sure they are on an age-appropriate vehicle. Every ATV made by our Members comes with a warning label with the manufacturer’s minimum age recommendation. Find it. Know it. Enforce it. Click here to learn more about age and size requirements, as well as the various ATV sizes. Remember, one size does not fit all.