Helmet for toddler on 4 wheeler?

SPJ&E · Jan 19, 2014

We have a somewhat difficult situation at the moment. We live on a hill (we call it a mountain) with a gravel/dirt driveway. It's long. The bottom half is steep. The rest is just long. Cars won't come up it because we seriously need gravel and can't buy it until tax time. I have to get the kids to school in the mornings and come back home, then pick them up from the bus stop and come back home every day. I cannot physically walk that with the baby strapped to my already bad back.

So my brother has a 4 wheeler that we can use to get up/down as needed. We don't go fast or do anything stupid. It's a means of getting up/down and that's it. I put the baby on my back in the Boba. The big kids have a dirtbike helmet to wear. Would a small bike helmet suffice for the baby? I know a full on ATV type helmet would be better, but it would be heavy and I don't know that it is feasible with him in a carrier. I'd like to have SOMETHING on him, just in case. Any ideas?

MotoMommaNH · Jan 19, 2014

I know nearly nothing about helmets except that I'm sure the ATV ones are probably made for a lot more speed with impact instead of bike ones. It's possible there's a crush rating or something involved also in case of a roll over etc. Ugh that's a tough situation you are in; we have a crappy driveway too and if I can't get up it I do hike up with my 3 yo but approaching my 3rd trimester and begging hubby for an AWD car. (Perfectly smooth, recently paved driveway. Just really long and steep and when it snows there's no getting up it in my Accord.)

Hopefully someone comes along with more knowledge! I kind of think it'd be OK at REALLLY slow speeds but the other part of me is so nervous to even think it.

SPJ&E · Jan 19, 2014

Our Xterra (it was 4wd) was totalled recently, so we're stuck in this predicament until we get another vehicle (this one will be AWD) in a few weeks. We do go slow, but there's obviously still a risk and we'd like to be as safe as we can under the circumstances.

I hope you get your AWD soon!

safeinthecar · Jan 19, 2014

I used a bike helmet on my kids for quading until they are big enough to fit the motorsport helmets. I didn't however strap the kids to me in any way since if we bit the dust I wanted the child to land away from me and not under me.

fyrfightermomma · Jan 21, 2014

My kids wear good quality bike helmets until the atv helmets fit. And like a pp said, I never wore them on me since I wanted then thrown free if worse came to worse

TechnoGranola · Jan 21, 2014

I don't know, a steep hill with reduced traction sounds like the place that a rollover would happen if a rollover was going to happen. YKWIM? A rollover is not likely going to happen travelling straight down the middle of a flat, smooth road, but this seems to be setup for one?

safeinthecar · Jan 21, 2014

TechnoGranola said:
I don't know, a steep hill with reduced traction sounds like the place that a rollover would happen if a rollover was going to happen. YKWIM? A rollover is not likely going to happen travelling straight down the middle of a flat, smooth road, but this seems to be setup for one?

If the hill is passable by foot, it's no challenge to an ATV.

MotoMommaNH · Jan 21, 2014

fyrfightermomma said:
My kids wear good quality bike helmets until the atv helmets fit. And like a pp said, I never wore them on me since I wanted then thrown free if worse came to worse

Playing devil's advocate...what's worse: Having the kiddo strapped to you and they'd stay that way if you were thrown

OR holding the kiddo on your lap/straddled seat in front of you with one arm while trying to steer with the other...?

An Aurora · Jan 21, 2014

safeinthecar said:
I used a bike helmet on my kids for quading until they are big enough to fit the motorsport helmets. I didn't however strap the kids to me in any way since if we bit the dust I wanted the child to land away from me and not under me.

This. I'd put the wee one in your lap in front of you.

MommyShannon · Jan 21, 2014

An Aurora said:
This. I'd put the wee one in your lap in front of you.

I was sort of thinking this except I'd be too scared of a bump or something smaller making the baby fall. What about using a car seat somehow (maybe not secured on it) so the baby is protected some from the ATV in a roll over.

An Aurora · Jan 21, 2014

A car seat is not going to withstand a rollover anyway. I've never had a problem keeping the kiddo on my lap; it's not really "on" the lap but rather sitting on the seat and between legs.

TechnoGranola · Jan 21, 2014

safeinthecar said:
If the hill is passable by foot, it's no challenge to an ATV.

Perhaps I've seen too many videos of my cousins rolling ATVs on hills. LOL (although not funny watching as they are lucky to be alive the idiots that they are)

thtr4me · Jan 22, 2014

I agree, that you should not wear baby when riding the ATV. If something happened, your body weight would crush the baby, and a helmet would do little good at that point. I would try to find a way to ride without baby attached directly to you, and use a bike helmet for baby.

TechnoGranola · Jan 22, 2014

Since I clearly don't know anything about ATV's, where would a 2 year old sit that they didn't have the risk of falling off? I'd be scared my 2 year old would take a tumble and then I'd drive over them with the ATV.

OP, got any good AT strollers you can tether to your wrist and push or pull up/down? Or a Chariot with the hiking harness?

An Aurora · Jan 22, 2014

TechnoGranola said:
Since I clearly don't know anything about ATV's, where would a 2 year old sit that they didn't have the risk of falling off? I'd be scared my 2 year old would take a tumble and then I'd drive over them with the ATV.

OP, got any good AT strollers you can tether to your wrist and push or pull up/down? Or a Chariot with the hiking harness?

They sit on the seat in front of the adult, in between the adult's thighs. If the kiddo leans back, they are surrounded by legs and arms. DS would just kinda chill like that and my arms were on either side of his chest. I plowed the driveway many a time like this.

Brianna · Jan 22, 2014

J was less than a year old the first time he was on a 4 wheeler- he loved it. He's now 4 and even though he can be a squirmy kid I never had an issue with him moving out of his spot on the 4 wheeler. You'd have to hit a bump pretty hard to throw a kid- I assume OP knows her driveway well enough to know if that would be a concern.

Techno- the one in the very front is 3, behind him is 7, my dad is driving and there's another one behind him that's 9. Everybody stayed in place just fine. (yes, none of them are wearing helmets... the parents didn't care and neither did my dad.) Sorry about size! We've had it much more loaded up though. You could easily fit another 3 adults on there.

BananaBoat · Jan 22, 2014

How long does it take with the ATV to go up & down the driveway?

Is it short enough that you could leave the baby in a safe location in the home?

We have a long, steep driveway. DD2 is 2.5 & I have no problem leaving her secured in her crib to go to the bottom to get the mail from the mailbox. Just a thought to avoid the situation entirely. I *personally* would feel safER leaving baby securely at home than in an iffy situation on an ATV.

TechnoGranola · Jan 22, 2014

Well see, I don't know anything. LOL I thought ATVs were made for one person or two at most with a two seater, and couldn't hold multiple people.

Brianna · Jan 22, 2014

The one in my pic is a utility ATV- meant for moving things around. You might have been thinking of a sport ATV- something meant for racing and riding trails on. I probably wouldn't want a kid on one of those.

TechnoGranola · Jan 22, 2014

Ya probably was. I assume my cousins have the sporty trail models. Didn't realize there were other types.

Helmet for toddler on 4 wheeler?

New member

New member

New member

Moderator - CPS Technician

New member

Forum Ambassador

Moderator - CPS Technician

New member

Senior Community Member

New member

Senior Community Member

Forum Ambassador

New member

Forum Ambassador

Senior Community Member

New member

Well-known member

Forum Ambassador

New member

Forum Ambassador

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics