Fully agreed. Loved exploring on my bike, still do. Speaking with a co-worker years ago, he could not understand why his kids did not get the same joy out of their bikes. I asked if they ever got to ride them on their own. His response said it all: Heck no, we never let them out of our sight…
Imagine being 16, new driver's license, and your first real taste off freedom, without any of that self-reliance and situational awareness, because you have never been alone. Talk about a recipe for disaster.