Parenting is one of the most difficult things a person can do. It can feel impossible at times to strike a balance between keeping your kids safe and allowing them to go out and experience the world. Many kids have felt a nice rush of adrenaline when driving an ATV for the first time, and parents assume that all-terrain vehicles made specifically for kids would be safer than those made for adults. Unfortunately, one popular kids’ ATV has been recalled because it doesn’t meet federal safety standards.

Learn more about giving your child a properly-sized ATV, a recent recall on a youth model, and more tips about how to keep your kids safe while allowing them to enjoy all-terrain vehicles. 

A kids’ ATV engine size guide

When parents decide to give their kids the gift of a fun and rideable machine like an all-terrain vehicle, many make the mistake of getting vehicles that aren’t the right size or go much too fast for young children. 

Penn State University has a handy guide that can help parents determine which size and power of ATV would be most appropriate for their children. This guide outlines the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s engine size recommendations: 

• Children under six: should not use one
• Children between six and 11: all-terrain vehicles with engines under 70 cc,
• Children ages 12-15: all-terrain vehicles with engines between 70-90 cc
• Teens over 16: all-terrain vehicles with engines larger than 90 cc. 

Even if you follow these guidelines, ATVs are never risk-free, especially for children. It’s important to teach your children how to drive ATVs responsibly, and it’s helpful to enroll your kids in an ATV class with organizations like the ATV Safety Institute. Many states have legal regulations regarding ATVs, so in addition to following the above size recommendations, check with your state’s regulations too. 

A major recall on the EGL Motor ACE D110 Youth ATV

Although youth ATVs should be designed with kids’ safety in mind, one ATV, the EGL Motor ACE D110 Youth ATV, exceeds the maximum speed limit for youth ATVs that are meant for kids six years old and up. According to Consumer Affairs, the CPSC voiced concerns about children being able to handle the controls on the ATV, which can cause them to crash at fast speeds, leading to injuries or even death. 

CSPC itself states that about 1,300 of these ATVs were sold since November of 2019, and many online retailers and dealerships carried the product. The agency recommends that the use of this product should be ceased immediately. 

Safety tips for kids and all-terrain vehicles

Reading about recalls like this may instill fear in parents when it comes to giving their child an all-terrain vehicle, but children can still have fun using these vehicles without putting their lives in danger.

TeensHealth offers a few all-terrain vehicle safety tips for kids, and one of the easiest and most important ones is to always wear a helmet. Head injuries from ATV and other motor vehicle crashes are common, and they can range from relatively mild to life-threatening. Keep your, and your child’s, noggins safe with a helmet. 

Along those same lines, it’s also important for adults and children to wear appropriate clothing when using an ATV. Wearing long sleeves, pants, and high boots can prevent severe scrapes if a crash occurs and the driver gets thrown from the vehicle. 

Finally, instill the importance of staying on all-terrain vehicle trails and driving at a safe speed into your kids. ATVs are built for trails, not concrete or other terrains, and this can make them go too fast or become unbalanced and more likely to tip over. As mentioned earlier, perhaps the best thing you can do is have your child become ATV certified before letting them go out on their own.