For generations, children have wanted to be like grownups – and one of the privileges they covet is the ability to move from place to place other than on foot. That’s why older kids like to learn to ride bicycles, and smaller children enjoy playing with toys like wagons, tricycles, and other human-powered toys.
But technology has now advanced to the point where parents can purchase motorized toy vehicles for their children. Though their components and power sources may vary, the basic idea is that the child need only press a gas pedal or handle in order to power the toy. Many of these motorized vehicles can travel at speeds of several miles per hour.
So what can happen when you put preschool-aged kids on a motorized toy vehicle? You guessed it – injury accidents.
Since these vehicles move pretty fast, it’s easy for a child to lose control of it. Running into a stationary object is bad enough. But if the child accidentally strikes another child – or worse, careens into a street, parking lot, or other area where “grownup” passenger vehicles are – then the odds of someone getting hurt increase dramatically. To make matters worse, these motorized toy vehicles are so low to the ground that drivers of regular vehicles often cannot see them – especially if the toys are behind the passenger vehicles.
That’s why it is vital that parents take every possible precaution to ensure that these motorized toys are operated safely. This includes making sure the toys are age-appropriate for their children and always keeping an eye on their kids while they are playing with these toys. Children should wear helmets at all times, and be strapped in if the toy comes with a safety belt. In addition, the child must be able to use the braking system properly (which may require seat adjustments). Most importantly, these motorized toy vehicles should never be driven in the street – even a residential one with little traffic. Instead, the toys should remain on sidewalks in backyards, and on lawns or driveways.
As for adults: if a youngster in your neighborhood has one of these motorized toy vehicles, make sure to stress to the child and/or his/her parents to be careful when playing with it near your driveway or other places where you might be driving. Because if you can’t see the child on the motorized toy and strike him or her, you could be named as a defendant in a personal injury lawsuit or wrongful death lawsuit. Also, if your child strikes another kid while driving one of these toys, you could also be held responsible for those injuries as well.