Even though Illinois has no age restrictions for motorcycle passengers, the Gurnee motorcycle accident lawyers in our office urge you to seriously consider the safety of letting your child ride along with you on your motorcycle.
As for the helmet question, the answer is: No, your child will definitely need his own helmet, even if he rarely goes for rides.
Many people underestimate the importance of a properly fitted helmet. It is absolutely imperative that all of the required fit tests are performed before a helmet is purchased and/or worn.
Helmets are supposed to fit very snuggly, which can be difficult for a child to get used to. It is not uncommon for kids to say that their helmet “hurts,” when in reality it is just the proper, tight fit. The best thing to do is to take both your child and your wife into a local motorcycle helmet retailer and have a professional properly size them each for a helmet.
If it turns out that they are both the same size, according to the professional at the store, then you can probably have them share a helmet — as long as they are not riding at the same time, of course.
But remember that as soon as a helmet is involved in a motorcycle accident, it should be properly disposed of and never re-used, regardless of how minor the accident seemed. Any sort of impact can cause the protective materials inside the helmet to compress, decreasing the chance that it can protect you in a second accident. So avoid letting your child wear an old, used helmet and purchase a new one.
Injured in a Gurnee motorcycle accident? Call Hupy and Abraham today at 800.800.5678 for your complimentary case evaluation and free book, The Ultimate Guide for Motorcycle Accident Victims.