The grass is growing and the weather is warming up. It’s a great time to fly a kite.
However, the number of kite string injuries is also entering a high season.
If a kite gets caught in electrical lines or falls into a substation, it can damage the power grid and stopped trains. Maybe you have seen the following or similar news.
News 1
March 28, 2021, Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China, a boy playing with a scooter in the park was cut on the neck by other children’s kite threads, and an obvious red and swollen wound appeared.
News 2
March 3, 2021 Mr. Xue was riding a motorcycle on his way home after work when he accidentally cut by kite thread and got three layers of clothes broken. He also had cuts on his shoulder from the skin all down to muscle tissue.
News 3
A 12-year-old boy in Indonesia followed his neighbors and family members to fly a kite in a field recently. Well it was large kite that the boy was directly pulled 10 meters into the air. Fortunately, he was sent to the hospital for two surgeries and his life is not in danger. There was also a terrible incident in Taiwan, China where a 3-year-old child was taken high up in the air by a kite, fortunately landed safely.
News 4
In many countries, there are news reports of bird deaths due to broken kite strings left on tree branches and power lines.
The BBC has a similar news report. Please click below link for details.
Why flying kites in India can be deadly
After reading these news, it feels too scary, right?
How powerful is a slim kite string that can be transformed into a “sharp weapon”?
Youth Daily – Youth Shanghai Reporter Tested the power of kite string with experiment.
“In the old days, kite thread were made of cotton and they broke when pulled hard”, said Yi Huang . The captain of Jinshan Petrochemical Street Kite Team- an All China First Grade National judge – he’s seen it all when it comes to most kites
“Cotton with low strength isn’t harmful even if you touch someone in flight.”
However, with the development of science and technology, from cotton line, to nylon line, to professional grade Kevlar line or vigorous horse line, people’s pursuit for kite control is getting higher and higher, and the material of kite line is evolving.
How much damage can the slim kite thread do?
The reporter under guidance from Jinshan District Fire and Rescue Squad made an experiment: he straightened out his string, put on gloves to protect himself, then cut various items across it at an oblique angle. The result showed that even though there was no weight or pressure being applied onto them – only light winds- everything caught in its path would be stopped dead by this one thin thread!
Carrots, broken into two immediately↓
Sausage, neatly sliced down the middle↓
Cut meat with skin, were left with strangulation marks several cm deep ↓
Yi Huang told reporters that at present, the common kite thread in the market are only a few mm in diameter, and the thinnest ones are even less than 1 mm, but they have high strength, high temperature resistance and are not easy to break. As the material of the kite line becomes more and more tough, physical experts have done calculations, when the wind speed exceeds 4 levels, the kite line will be taut and the pull force will reach 50 kgs , and when stronger winds, the pull force may even exceed 100 kgs. The small kite rope becomes a dangerous “blade” in the air.
Kites are light and airy, but powerful. In real life, kite flying has also caused many line tripping and train stopping accidents.
In April 2020, a couple in Jilin Province tried to retrieve a kite hanging on a high-voltage line with a wooden pole, and both of them were injured by high-voltage electricity and both had their limbs amputated.
“The kite itself consists of keel and coil, and the production material contains metal such as wire and steel ring. Although the material used in the kite thread itself is insulated, once it rains when flying the kite and the air is humid, the kite yarn will be damp and conductive, and under the absolute high voltage, the kite line is not guaranteed to be insulated.” Yi Huang explained that, meanwhile, the high-voltage wires of 35 kV and above have no insulation layer and are directly charged.
The kite thread that does not guarantee insulation will have unimaginable consequences if it touches the exposed high-voltage line.
These are not what we want to see. To avoid accidents，do you know how to fly safely?
Kite strings are thin and concealed, and often hurt people invisibly. So how can kite lovers and citizens prevent it from hurting people and protect themselves and others? A few tips for you.
1. Small single line kites with cotton string are better for children
First of all, in the selection of kites, Yi Huang suggests: “Ordinary enthusiasts should not use Kevlar lines, but buy nylon lines, which are relatively less strong and have higher safety. For young children to fly kites, it is better to choose small kite, use cotton kite thread and have adults accompanying them.”
2.The best place for kite fly is large and open
Secondly, the site choice to fly your kite should be in a less crowded and open place, never fly near power lines, as well as areas around railway lines and airports. Ning Wang, head of the press and propaganda section of the Jinshan District Fire and Rescue Detachment, added that although there are large lawns in some downtown parks or green areas, they are crowded and especially children running around have no concept of avoiding kite threads, so kite flying is also not recommended. Flying noisy kites, large kites, sport kites, or other kites, requires a more demanding site. Be careful not to scare animals, particularly horses with riders. Be careful not to fly where you might scare nesting birds. Avoid sudden gusts, other kites, kite lines and kite fliers.
3.wear gloves when flying a kite
Ning Wang also suggested that when flying kites, you should not wrap the kite lines around your hands and try to wear gloves to avoid being cut by the kite lines even it is light weight materials.
4.Instantly retrieve the broken string and kite
If the kite is put halfway and the line breaks, how should it be handled? Huang Yi said that if the kite floats away with the wind, the broken line will be entangled in the branches of trees, street lights, or across the road, and people riding non-motorized bicycles at a certain speed will easily be hooked or tripped, which is very dangerous and has endless consequences.
Therefore, if the kite line is broken, it is the responsibility of the kite owner to retrieve the broken kite and not to walk away. If a kite is entangled in a high place, you can ask for help from the fire department. If a kite is entangled in a high-voltage line, don’t climb the pole to get it, and don’t pull it out, but seek help in time.
5.Keep a safe distance from kite fliers
If you see someone flying a kite when you travel and play, you should remember to keep a certain distance. Ning Wang reminds that you should not stand under or in front of the kite, but try to stand behind the kite flyer to watch it, which is less dangerous..
6.Choose the right weather to fly a kite
We all know that no wind or very light wind, too much wind or stormy weather are not suitable for kite flying. Kites should not be flown in more than 20 mph. Never fly in rain or lightning. Electricity in clouds is attracted to damp kite lines and you could get hurt. A day with good steady wind and not cloud is a good choice. If the kite sinks tail first, there might not be enough wind. If it comes down head first or spins, there might be too much wind. Different kites fly in different winds. Kites can be flown in any wind level from 2 to 6 (medium winds). Among them, level 2-4 is suitable for smaller kites and level 5-6 is suitable for large kites. More than 6, avoid flying.
To sum up, kite fly is a kind of sport that can promote emotion, it brings us happiness and joy, but it can also bring terrible harm if we are not careful. We hope everyone who flies kite cares for themselves and others and the environment, leaving only happiness and no harm behind.
Have you flown a kite lately? What kind of kites do you like? Have you encountered any problems about kites?Please share with us.