Child bikers banned in main roads

[Corzhens]

There is an ordinance in some cities in Metro Manila banning child bikers in main road. This ordinance actually includes the banning of child riders in motorcycles. Child is defined as 10 years old. It may be a good ordinance but the problem is the implementation. How would the cops or traffic enforcer know that the rider is a child? And since children are exempted from being arrested, so where do we go from here? I think that ordinance is not meant to be implemented.

 

[9lines]

They should be trained on how to ride safely, and that must be away from main roads. Children don't know what to do to avoid accidents or incase of an accident. They also don't know much about road rules and how to avoid traffic. If they have to ride on main roads then they must be accompanied by their parents or any adult, that is only when they can avoid accidents. They should also be taught on how to react incase of an accident.

 

[jhuskey]

I do not know the laws and how they apply there but I could imagine the child being held in protective custody and the parent being charged with endangerment and neglect.

 

[chrislee99777]

I think this is very important for children bike is a toy rather than a vehicle.They only know very little traffic knowledge and without safety awareness.

 

[SapnaTheBaller3]

It could potentially get dangerous if that isn't something we all already know. However, I'd assume since a child can't be arrested obviously, their parents would possibly be tolled with something such as a fine.

 

[TRexRegiment]

Children shouldn't be allowed to bike in the road, especially not in a main road. I agree with chrislee, a children's bike should be seen as a toy, or at most a vehicle to get down the road to a friend's house, not as a vehicle to be used on a main road. It's one thing if a kid is riding on a multi-person bike with an adult, or in a sidecar to a motorcycle - there is nothing wrong with that - but under no circumstances should a child be riding a bike alone in the road.

I agree, though, that can be a difficult thing to enforce, especially given that a lot of 8 or 9 year olds could pass as preteens, and a lot of preteens still look like children. I think, in cities where this is a problem, it would be worth creating a kind of minor's license for young bikers. Not every 10 year old should be allowed to take their bike on the road, and implementing the license would put to rest any ambiguity surrounding the age of the cyclist.

 

[rz3300]

Like some of the other users have said, it is helpful to think about this as a protection for the kids. I think that it stands to reason to say that they should not ride on the main roads, and I am guessing that there are some incidents and data to support that. I am interested to see if that is the case here.

 

[Corzhens]

I think this is very important for children bike is a toy rather than a vehicle.They only know very little traffic knowledge and without safety awareness.

I agree in considering a child's bike as a toy. But the crux in that ordinance is the child's age. There are children here who look older than their age of 10 years and some girls even already have a full body (like that of a woman). What I have in mind is the size of the bike that maybe small bikes can be banned in the main roads. And as for the age of the child, I don't know how it is fully implemented.

 

[rajeshcycles]

In my opinion, banning them is not a great idea. Instead of banning them straight away, they should be trained to ride it. They should teach them the road safety rules, how to prevent accidents, etc. People should make them aware. Banning them will not do anything and that is why it is better to teach them.

 

[northern_progressive]

I don't really think that children should be riding on the road - at least not on main roads. If they are on a residential street without much traffic, and are being closely supervised by their parents, then it is probably alright.

The laws here allow riding on sidewalks, which I think is great for kids (but I get frustrated when I see adults riding on the sidewalks and forcing pedestrians to move aside for them).

 

[Damien Lee]

Yeah, main roads can be dangerous for young children. It's difficult for many of them to properly discern distances between oncoming vehicles and the danger they present. I think this is a smart move but it may be difficult to implement. Hopefully, if it is implemented correctly, many young children will be saved from becoming victims of car collisions.

 

[Okaviator]

When I was a kid I never worried about these things because I was taught road safety. I think the problem these days is that parents don't have enough time to teach their children road safety.

 

[sharkantropo]

First you have to evaluate how aware are your children with road safety and then decide whether or not is a good idea to let them ride alongside main roads with adult supervision. Otherwise is just risky.

 

[neednoexcuse]

I think every kid below the age of 12 years can be considered as a 'child' and I think it is appropriate to ban them from riding on the main roads. I think this law will boost the safety of the children living in the big cities. There are hundreds of cycle accidents happening all over the world and this would surely stop some of them. So, I think that the government should implement this law.

 

[chelsknits]

I definitely don't think a main road is a place for a child to be riding in the first place so maybe it's meant to deter them from that. If a police officer saw a child, they'd likely tell them that they couldn't be there for safety reasons. I would expect the same thing here, honestly. And personally, I think it's pretty easy to differentiate a child from an adult or teenager so I don't think there would be many cases of confusion.

 

[Dame6089]

I think that is a great idea personally. I'm honestly not sure of the legality of it here in the states, but it makes a ton of sense. Experienced adults can have difficulty riding on main roads, so it will be much more difficult for children. It's not only a danger for the children, but the drivers as well who have to avoid them.