Keep a kid protected with a youth motorcycle helmet. When it relates to protecting young children on motorcycles or ATVs, nothing beats a helmet designed just for them. Youth motorcycle helmets could be found for anyplace from $40 to $400. Exactly like their adult counterparts, those helmets are available as full face or open face. Some even have Blue-tooth functionality.

Helmet shells can be made out of a variety of materials including plastic, fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon fiber. The shock-absorber interior is foam, a material whose shelf-life is about 5-7 years depending on storage space. Because of this, helmets must be changed within that time period.

Youth motorcycle helmets are created smaller than adult helmets in all ways, that permits for a lighter weight while keeping DOT standard security. A child wearing a small adult helmet could have problem with the weight of that helmet being too much for their necks, although they appear to fit accurately.

Youth helmets are made for head sizes from 19"-25". After finding a good size to try on, check out the fit. Be sure the helmet sits correctly on the child's head with no movement front-to-back or side-to-side. There must be no gaps whatsoever between the cheek pads and the cheeks or the brow pads and the temples. If, after securing the strap, the cheek pads are pressing on the cheeks and not just touching them, try the next size up or one more style. If the kid wants a full face helmet, ensure that pressing on the chin piece doesn't cause the helmet to touch the chin or nose. If it does, the wind created while riding may also make it touch and that would prove to be not only irritating, it might be unsafe. If all this checks out, have the child wear the helmet around to store to see if it's comfortable over an extended period of time.

Child Helmet Laws - State laws differ as to whether helmets are required, but only 3 states don't have youth helmet laws. These are New Hampshire, Illinois and Iowa. Laws not withstanding, each child should wear a helmet on a motorbike or an ATV.