There has been an update to my last post in the Australian media. Looking at some of the comments that have been made on a number of Australia newspaper there looks to be a big difference in public opinion. Some readers argue that the case is a freak accident and that no one could have foreseen such an accident occurring. The vast majority of readers do seem to agree with “powerdog” and say that the father is too blame for letting his child ride the bike in the first place.

According to Kidsafe Victoria a charity based in Australia that protects children – two thousand seven hundred children under the age of fourteen went to hospital in the past three years all with injuries caused by motorcycles.

This is a disgrace! I thought that the case of the three year old boy was a unique accident but it seems that this happens all the time. Maybe they are not killed but still this is a situation that should be dealt with.

In the UK all users of these mini bikes are required to obtain a provisional license and a CBT (Compulsory basic training) plus insurance. The minimum age is therefore 16! Law in the United States also bans under-16s from riding mini bikes.

But it seems that the Australian governments are happy to let kids ride these motorcycles without any form of training. Dr Stokes who deals with these child injuries agrees with me and states that:

“It seems ludicrous that we have an appropriate regime of driver training and licensing for driving a car, but in the case of a motorbike or minibike there is virtually no control over the age limit for motorbike riders on bikes that can do up to 60 km/h,”

If the Australian government chooses not to up the minimum age to 16 then they should at least incorporate a training scheme similar to the UK’s compulsory basic training which will identify users who can’t control the bike.

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