I definitely suggest the armadillo vest. My son uses one, last year he went sideways into the wall hard. He hit hard enough to bend a rim, bend his axle, and slammed him into the side of the seat pretty hard. He had sore ribs for about a day, but no bruises or broken bones. Both my son and daughter use the armadillo this year, they both say they are comfortable and do not get in the way of driving.
