Hi guys… My family recently bought a few RZR’s that they ride up in the woods. I have never been on anything like this and have been doing some research on safety and what to expect. The family members who own these have never owned anything like this nor have they ever really ridden outdoors on rough terrain. They intend to have these for "light trail riding," nothing crazy. They also take these on the highway nearby which has a speed limit of 45-50mph and although there are other cars on the road, it’s a small town so the highway is never very packed. I have gone on a ride with them and the highest speed we hit was 55mph in the forest. The RZR’s have normal seat belts (not 5 point harnesses) and our family does not wear helmets at all. They have told me with complete confidence that "for what we do on these RZR’s, they aren’t going to flip or anything. We aren’t doing anything crazy."

Throw into the mix my 22lb toddler. I personally do not feel safe putting her in there at all. She is in a "racing" car seat that would not tightly buckle down on it’s own, so we mickey moused it onto the vehicle with random buckles. Additionally, although I found a helmet to fit her, it weighs way too much for her. She is in the 3rd percentile for her age, only weighing 22 lbs. She is tiny. The helmet is the lightest one I could find that fits her, but is still so heavy that whiplash alone would severely injure her neck. The family has stated that they don’t even think the helmet is a safety need since shes in a car seat with a 5 point harness, but that’s not something I am comfortable with compromising on.

With all of this said, I must say that I tend to be a person that leans on the side of caution and is often looked at for being "too safe" about things. Can I please get some candid opinions/advice from you guys who have much, much more experience with these? I have researched safety statistics, etc. but I would like some experienced input on toddlers in these, the possible dangers/risks, the likelihood of one of these flipping or rolling, riding on the highway, adults wearing helmets, etc.

We will still ride and enjoy the RZR’s, I just want to make sure we are being safe vs. taking the word of our family who have absolutely NO experience with these. Thank you SO SO much in advance!