by Larry Johnson
Go karts are fast, exciting and easy to handle,
and there are tracks all over the country catering to every age range
from kids to teens to adults. Gokarts are generally easy to drive, easy
to control and are how you can experience the excitement of Formula One
racing without as much of the danger.
Go-karts are just beginning to come into their own
and are geared toward beginners in either off road or paved track go
kart racing. They are built to withstand years of use and abuse and are
terrific when it comes to performance, styling and low maintenance.
There are many types of vehicles that are built
for fun. These include ATVs, dirt bikes, scooters, mopeds, mini bikes
and go karts. If you are
looking to find some excitement with 4 wheels then you have to discard
the dirt bike, scooter, moped and mini bike. And the all terrain
vehicles are typically made for traveling off road. That leaves the go
kart. If you want to go racing like the big boys, with a mighty gasoline
powered engine and relative safety, go karts are what you will want to
be racing.
Whether you just want some cheap racing fun or
would like to someday become a professional race car driver, the go-kart
is a great way to begin. Many NASCAR drivers today got their start by
racing go karts when they were as young as five years old.
Carts have been around for a lot of years, but
have increased in popularity only recently. Back in the olden days,
carts were only available at the neighborhood Family Fun Center or
Amusement Park. And these gokarts only had two speeds, slow and slower.
But were they safe? Let us just say it was not easy to get hurt
traveling at just 5 mph.
But even at the slower speeds they were still
loads of fun. Imagine the thrill you can experience now with the faster
speeds and the bigger and better track selections. Great go-cart tracks
have been sprouting up all over. But have the increased karting speeds
made the go carts unsafe?
They used to be so terribly slow that no helmets
were even required. But with the speeds attained today helmets are
required at tracks everywhere, even the tracks where the little kiddies
race. But do not let that scare you, they are still extremely safe and
there is never any need to go faster than your own comfort dictates.
You can control, for the most part, the amount of
danger you experience in a go kart. Your decisions, from the go kart you
buy, to the safety equipment you use, to your level of caution expressed
on the track, determine how safe you will be. The faster you go the more
chance of sustaining a substantial injury. So taking every safety
precaution is always a smart idea.
Carting is generally very safe if you follow a few
simple rules. The number one rule is to always wear a helmet. In the
event of a crash it can spare you from a serious head injury. Also,
never forget to fasten your safety harness. This will prevent you from
being tossed out during a roll. Never race at speeds that you do not
feel comfortable with. If speed is not your thing you should remain in
the lesser levels of racing groups.
If you decide to race, even in a competition for
kids, you should be wearing a fire safety suit, racing shoes and
protective gloves. The shoes and gloves should also be fire retardant.
There is not much gas in a gocart, but if it should happen to catch on
fire the fire-safe equipment you use could save you a lot of pain and
discomfort.
Gocarts today all have roll bars that rise above
the head. In the event that you lose control, causing your go kart to
flip over, the roll bars and safety harness can keep you from harm. You
may think that it could not happen to you because you are such a great
driver, but the other racers on the track may not be so great. This is
the reason why a gokart has side bars that will protect you in the event
that another racer loses control and rams your kart.
With all of these precautions how can anyone get
injured? It is possible, but the chances of experiencing a serious
injury are severely limited by simply following a few safety rules. Go
karts are just about as safe as you want to make them.
