Go karting is a fun activity that has become a preferred pastime for people of all ages. It is a great way of spending holiday afternoon outings for people who want to experience the thrill of track racing. Highly popularized by the likes of Michael Schumacher and John Webber, the formula one legends, go-karts brings in the sensation of fast races but with reduced dangers and glamour. However, just like any other motoring event, it comes with its own safety concerns. There have been instances of serious injuries and even fatalities reported in the media. While it is the responsibility of the organizers and track owners to ensure safety measures are enforced, as a parent or as a participant you should always exercise vigilance and ensure compliance with the basic safety rules and procedures.
Do not ignore the helmet and the safety belt
Physics and common sense dictates on the importance of wearing a safety belt. While cruising even at a slow speed of thirty or forty miles per hour, the impact after a collision with a hard obstacle can be severe to the driver. The same case applies when it comes to helmets and their importance cannot be under-emphasized. Go karting can be fun but can be hazardous even after a minor accident. The safety belt and the helmet should be the first things you should have on before you hit the ignition. They can, and will indeed, save you from the agonies of avoidable injuries.
Recommended age and height
It is common place for parents and guardians to wish to bend the rules when it comes to abiding by the minimum recommended age and height of their children. Most will lie about the age of their children just to give them a chance of participating. In most facilities go karting is restricted to children above 9 years old and the minimum restriction on height is 150 centimetres. In other tracks, the age limit might be as high as 12 years. These limits, though, sounding prohibitive are not anyway punitive. They are meant to protect your children and are reached after considering the cognitive abilities of young kids and operational requirements of these small machines.
No alcohol allowed
This might sound like an old cliche that has been ignored for ages but when it comes to the go kart racing track, alcohol is prohibited in the strongest terms possible. This is indeed the cardinal rule of motoring and is a major cause of accidents. The prohibition of alcohol is meant for your own protection and the protection of other track users.
Respect the marshals
The track management has qualified staff to ensure go karting is fun, incident free and fulfilling. They will come to your assistance when the need arises and will be the first responders in case of an accident.
Respect the laid down procedures and also the staff for they are there to ensure you are safe and that you stick to the basic go karting etiquette.