Child on Motorcycle or Tractor which is more dangerous

[JB4310]

Well the legal question was bothering me so I just called our local PD, really caught them off guard as they had to put me on hold for a few minutes, when they came back they said they can find no specific law addressing my question, but they would "think" the child would have to be "old enough to hold on" so it sounds like it must be a discretionary thing, based on situational variables.

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[Dmace]

this makes me think of the seatbelt law here in Ga. dont get me wrong I'm all for the seatbelt saving lives thing etc, But a child has to be seatbelted in a car seat, but can ride open freely on the back seat of a cycle
Hmmmm! think about it!

Your right, they should make motorcycle manufacturers install those same seatbelts that they put on School buses...

By the way, my 6 yr old that rides with me on the Harley doesn't have a seatbelt on his 80cc ATV or 110cc snowmobile. I really should stop letting him enjoy life and instead sit him in front of a TV so he can be a brainwashed overweight drain on society...

 

[JoelD]

Your right, they should make motorcycle manufacturers install those same seatbelts that they put on School buses...

By the way, my 6 yr old that rides with me on the Harley doesn't have a seatbelt on his 80cc ATV or 110cc snowmobile. I really should stop letting him enjoy life and instead sit him in front of a TV so he can be a brainwashed overweight drain on society...

One of my points is, child has no choice regarding the situations we put them in.

Fine line between fun and danger.

I've been pummeled on the site for giving the mini-boss a ride in the bucket of my tractor. She's been on a dirt bike (with training wheels since 18months, same for quad). She's got a chest protector, helmet, gloves, etc.

To me there is a world of difference between dirt bikes governed at 1-5 MPH and a street bike.

There are far more variables outside of one's control on the street versus your backyard or in the woods.

One wrong move, by a stranger, someone over whom you have no control, can irrevocably change the lives of those on streetbikes.

I lost one friend over the 5 years I raced motocross (traveled every weekend to various tracks with various organizations), and riding for a number of years working my way up to 13 when I pulled up to my first gate. A 10 year old boy who washed his bike, started it up, rode around his yard without a helmet to dry it off and hit the clothes line mouth first, his mother found him dead in the backyard.

I can easily fill up a hand of fingers counting the friends or acquantences I've lost or have seen crippled on street bikes.

I did not post to start a keep your kid in front of the TV and be fat rant, or a bubble wrap your kid rant. Rather, it surprises me the situations some people will put their kids into.

My dad has always said, life is full of choices and risk, try to make your choices so that the odds are at least on your side.

Again, I raced Motocross and owned two street bikes (Honda CBR 900rr and Yamaha R1), I enjoy a good ride as much if not more than most. However, the risk, at least for me, outweighs the reward when it comes to the mini-boss's well-being. Same reason I'd never smoke, particularly never around the mini-boss or associate with anyone who would.

Again, I could not imagine coming home to the boss and telling her something happended on the mini-boss as a result of a streetbike ride. Same reason the boss drives a 5 star crash rated vehicle. putting the odds in our favor.

Joel

 

[redharley]

Parent's have the right's for children wether they can ride or not.Been riding 35 plus yr's would never ask or take or child for a ride not even my own untill they 14 and then only after explaining the danger's.I would never take a child riding without consent for sure and then only relative's.Once you explain what could happen subject is usaly dropped by child or parent.I don't think childern have any idea about risk, after all they thiink they live forever and nothing bad can come to them.Just my thought's

 

[NuBota]

It's all about acceptable level of risk and everyone has a different threshold. This debate could go on forever. The right answer, as usual, falls within that big gray area....

 

[deepNdirt]

Your right, they should make motorcycle manufacturers install those same seatbelts that they put on School buses...

By the way, my 6 yr old that rides with me on the Harley doesn't have a seatbelt on his 80cc ATV or 110cc snowmobile. I really should stop letting him enjoy life and instead sit him in front of a TV so he can be a brainwashed overweight drain on society...

I have not suggest that there be seatbelts on Motorcycles Jeeesh!
what a crazy idea, nore have I said kids cannot have fun riding dirtbikes 4 wheelers, snowmobiles or what ever, I suppose I should had said this in a manner of question form, LOL why would the law expect to be sure our children are safely buckled in by a seatbelt in our cars? and not think anything about having them ride on the rear of a Motorcycle? Plain & simple................. My son is no stranger to dirtbikes with having started on an old indian 50cc when he was 6 and then a few carts,when he was a bit older he decided to get back on a xr 80cc but it was too wimpy so he wanted a 2 stroke KX 80 then by the time he was 10 he decides he wants to race motoX so got him in the local youth track for practice purposes,
raced local for a couple years, then moved to circuit racing big wheel Kx 80, did that for 1 year by the time he was 14 he was on a KX 125 and raced in 125 class, for another 1 year and took a bad spill broke an arm, You might have heard of my son, Dustin Shelton, well while time off he decided to get into 4x4ing high rolling & mudding that sort of thing, now at 29 He has a KLR 500 and cuts up with it from time to time but kinda he's like me he will not ride his 2 children, ask him if I ever rode him with me? and he'll say no and that he wanted one of his own to ride and thats what he did, I never said kids should not ride off road and have fun at it, I just dont think that an adult should jeopardize a child life by riding them on the streets, hwy or interstates, I've seen far to many bad things happen on the roadway's BTW I used to race an old 73 ELSINORE 250 in the day,

 

[Dmace]

I just dont think that an adult should jeopardize a child life by riding them on the streets, hwy or interstates

My point is you insist that taking a child on a motorcycle is "jeopardizing their life" yet statistically, there have been far more injuries and deaths from so many other things involving children that no one has a problem with. I am sure racing motocross is up there on the top 10 list of life jeopardizing things to do as a child.

 

[deepNdirt]

My point is you insist that taking a child on a motorcycle is "jeopardizing their life" yet statistically, there have been far more injuries and deaths from so many other things involving children that no one has a problem with. I am sure racing motocross is up there on the top 10 list of life jeopardizing things to do as a child.

OK---> your right! ride your kid on your cycle and be proud of it,
By the way, don't think nothing badly of the person driving the next car that cuts you off or pulls out in front of you because they didn't see you,
I'm sure you'll have the situation all under control

 

[JoelD]

Interesting link on children injuries, old but applicable.

GH6026 Protecting Children from Unintentional Injuries | University of Missouri Extension

Here are some scary stats from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

n In 2002, nearly 2,300 children ages 4 to 11 died from injuries (CDC 2004).
n Motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death for this age group (CDC 2004).
n For children 4 to 7 years, belt-positioning booster seats reduce injury risk by 59% compared with seat belts alone (Durbin et al. 2001). Although restrained, only 37% ride in age-appropriate belt-positioning booster seats (Cody et al. 2002).
n Drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related death among children ages 4 to 11 (CDC 2004).
n In 2003, almost one quarter (23%) of children ages 5 to 9 who were killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians (NHTSA 2004a).
n Among children ages 4 to 11, homicide is the fourth leading cause of death, taking the lives of 250 children in 2002.
n Forty-two percent of homicide deaths in this age group were caused by firearms (CDC 2004).
n Nearly 3.2 million children ages 4 to 11 were nonfatally injured in 2003. Unintentional falls were the most common cause of injury (CDC 2004).

 

[Low Bucket]

Yes, We all know the dangers of riding our kids on motorcycles. > and tractors!- But what isn't dangerous to our children in these days?

I've rode my kids on motorcycles, ATVs and tractors.- I trained my kids to drive a tractor and ATV, and I went over the dangers with them as I was training them, and they understand.

I know some parents around me that lets their kids sit in front of a PlayStation all day.- Their eyes will be damaged at an early age if it don't stop.- I would rather my children play outside, and enjoy different things.

I also know a guy that lost a 12-year old son to a dirt bike accident.- The boy ran into a cable stretched across a dirt road.

Another thing that's dangerous to children is toys from China.- ?


When it's our time to go.- There's nothing 'WE' can do about it.-?


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