Thread: How Safe Are Go Karts?

My brother has this grand idea of building a go kart for my 8 year old nephew to race. This makes me nervous because my nephew is so young and because I am worried that a go kart isn't that sturdy. Does anyone know if this could be a dangerous sport for such a young child?

My friend's grandson is like 7 or 8 and he does go-kart racing. They go like 40 mph. I think it's utterly insane for a child of that age, but apparently it is safe. I wouldn't want him to build one unless he has a lot of experience with that kind of stuff, but if it has like a roll cage and a safe seat belt and great stability, it should be safe.

Thanks nhra. That is part of the problem I have with this. My brother has never built a go kart that I am aware of. He and his buddy have been looking for blue prints to build one online and they act like there is nothing to this. I will check with him about a safety belt and a roll cage and find out if he's even thought about that.

My husband would tell you not even remotely safe. He lived in the country as a child and he and his cousin had one they flipped multiple times at speeds less than 40 mph and it's a wonder they didn't kill themselves.

If he absolutely has to have a go-kart (which I don't think is a good idea at 8) go buy one from a reliable dealer that has been tested for safety! This is not something you just do it yourself on unless you have been building something similar for years...especially not something you put your child into. What does the kids mom think about all this?

She doesn't like it either, but rarely stands up to my brother. He is normally a pretty level headed guy, but not this time. He thinks it will be great for him, his son, and his buddy to build their own go kart. I think he is just on an ego rush and wants to prove he can do it. He is my younger brother, so I may just have to cloud up and rain all over him to get some sense into his head.

If he is so confident in his ability to build one that is safe make sure he and his buddy are the ones that test it out for awhile before the kid ever gets near it. You never know thoguh it may be one of those projects that never gets completed because it's harder than they thought...or parts mysteriously disappear....

I grew up riding things a lot less safe than go-karts. Remember 3-wheelers? Those things would flip over in a split second! We don't own a go-kart but my parents do and my kids love it.

I would make sure he has a 5 point harness and that it fits and is tight. I have seen kids racing in go karts crash and hit the steering wheel or go flying out. I would rather my kid race in a go kart than a motorcycle or dirt bike.

Building a go kart with my best buddy and his dad or my dad, either one sounds like a neat idea. Sure there are safer projects they could work on but just the fact that someone is spending learning time with these kids is great. With adult supervision and adult testing, it can be just as safe as anything else in life.