ATGATT for me and mine. I don't let ANYONE... including myself... sit on the bike with it running unless they are wearing jacket, gloves, and helmet. My son who is 22 months old LOVES Daddy's Bike, and will take every excuse to sit on it in the garage and play with the controls (the ones he can reach), but until he is old enough to put his feet on the pegs while sitting on the passenger seat, he will NOT get a ride. My daughter who is 5-1/2 went for a ride with me the other day around the block (no faster than 20 MPH) and she loved it. I'm all for getting my kids interested in riding, and now that they have repealed the crap about not selling ATV's/ motorbikes to kids because of lead content... I intend on getting them involved with some dirt riding soon so that they know how to do it. As far as the gear issue for others... I look at it this way... it's more chlorine for the gene pool... if they don't wear it. (This post was just my humble opinion and should be taken as such)
It just goes to show....... It's easy to pass un-thought out laws..... If you're deaf in your left ear, and put the earphone in the good right ear. What's the purpose of the law? But, yet it isn't accomplishing it.