Riding with a kid can be a compulsion; for others, it’s their passion. Like adults, kids feel fascinated by the gust of wind and the views a bike ride brings. However, riding with a kid is not always easy. Since your kid is the most crucial person in your house, their safety on a two-wheeler is paramount.
You must have heard that two-wheeler insurance is mandatory as per Indian laws. However, a bike insurance policy does not naturally cover any injury received to the pillion, including a kid. You need to add the passenger add-on cover by paying an extra premium to your existing two-wheeler insurance policy to get coverage for the pillion rider, including a kid.
Because Indian roads witnesses a sizeable number of road accidents every year, you cannot take risks when your kid is onboard your bike. So, besides possessing a comprehensive or third-party bike insurance policy, you must take some additional measures to ensure your ride ends as happily as it starts.
This article discusses seven things you must do besides taking a comprehensive or third-party bike insurance policy when a kid is travelling with you.
Things to Take Care of When Travelling With Kids on Bike
1. Keep Your Motorcycle in Optimal Health
It’s a no-brainer that a motorcycle is nothing but a machine. And machines can malfunction at any time. While nobody can predict when the machine will malfunction, keeping it in optimal condition prevents severe damage.
Ensure to check your bike as often as you can. Change the engine oil and check the battery condition per the prescribed routine. Also, replace the ball bearings in the tyre, check the air pressure and evaluate the tyre grip before hitting the road with a kid.
If your bike’s health is proper, the chances of malfunctioning are low. As a result, you can be assured about riding the two-wheeler with a kid on board.
2. Include Passenger Add-on in Your Insurance Policy
As already mentioned, a comprehensive or third-party two-wheeler policy does not automatically provide coverage to the pillion. So, if the insured bike or its owner faces an accident, the insurer only pays for the damage caused to the concerned bike or the insured person and not the pillion.
Since a bike accident may have disastrous consequences, it is always wise to include the pillion rider in insurance coverage. A passenger add-on cover provides money for the medical treatment of the pillion rider. You can include the cover in your existing two-wheeler insurance policy by paying a small premium.
If the passenger add-on cover increases your insurance bill significantly, consider extending the policy term. Bike insurance companies generally offer good deals on long-term bike insurance policies. Check the savings, and do not forget to include the bike passenger add-on cover for the extended term. A long-term two-wheeler insurance policy, along with the passenger add-on cover, increases your peace of mind and protects you and your pillion from financial difficulties in an accident.
3. Purchase a Helmet with Quality Certifications
Wearing a helmet while riding two-wheelers is mandatory according to Indian laws. However, you can still observe many two-wheeler riders not wearing helmets while riding their bikes. Even worse, they do not cover the head of the kid riding with them. This carelessness increases the risk of fatality and severe physical damage. So, buying a helmet for yourself and the kid is essential when taking kids on your bike.
When buying a helmet for your kid, check whether it contains the ISI mark or not. Before purchasing a helmet for your kid, ensure it fits well. Try buying a helmet that fits tightly on your kid’s head since a loose helmet cannot bear the impact of a crash. Also, ensure the helmet's colour is bright enough for the other vehicle owners to spot at night.
4. Prepare Your Kid
Children often do not understand the difference between sitting on a chair and a bike seat. And kids getting drowsy or sleeping while on the bike is not uncommon. However, if your kid falls asleep in the middle of heavy traffic, it can present a severe threat to you.
Hence, preparing your kid for the ride(s) is imperative before taking them on board. Check whether your kid’s feet touch the passenger peg or not. Also, ensure that the seat is comfortable enough for the kid. If s/he feels uncomfortable and moves without warning, you may lose balance.
5. Luminosity is the Key
Riding at night needs a different approach than riding in broad daylight. If you plan to ride with your kid predominantly at night, ensure that your bike has enough luminous materials to alert other drivers. Also, install reflectors at strategic places to allow other drivers to understand the length and breadth of your two-wheeler.
Moreover, purchase some reflective stickers and fix them on your kid’s helmet to stay extra cautious.
Try to avoid riding a two-wheeler along with a kid at night. However, if you cannot avoid it, it’s better to adopt the safety measures discussed above.
6. Obey Traffic Signals
Let’s accept it - no motorist likes signals. Signals might be dull. They waste motorists’ time. But signals are crucial for averting accidents and maintaining sanity in the traffic system of an area. So, obeying signals is paramount to ensure your and other people’s safety.
Obeying signals is vital when you ride with a kid since wasting a little time is always better than meeting an accident. You cannot take risks regarding your kid, and traffic signals should be your trusted companion on the journey to safety.
Conclusion
Riding a bike with your kid might be a blissful experience. However, happiness may be short-lived if you do it without a valid bike insurance policy. Opt for an online comprehensive or third-party two-wheeler insurance policy and ride with complete peace.
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