PEDIATRICS Vol. 115 No. 4 April 2005, pp. 1085-1086 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-0181)
COMMENTARY |
Kids and Motorbikes: The Need for Speed
Department of Clinical Pediatrics
Oregon Health and Science University
Portland, OR 97239-3098
Oregon Medical Association
Portland, OR 97239
Oregon Pediatric Society
Wilsonville, OR 97070
Oregon Safe Kids Coalition
Portland, OR 97232
Department of Pediatrics
Pediatric Clinical Research Office
Doernbecher Children’s Hospital
Oregon Health and Science University
Portland, Oregon 97239-3098
Abbreviations: DOT, US Department of Transportation
The initial introduction of the minibike was in the early 1960s. It was introduced for use on closed, off-highway courses or in campgrounds or recreational vehicle parks. The early machines were relatively simple and slow. The new breed of minibikes are faster and inherently much more dangerous. What exactly is a minibike (also known as pocket bikes, pocket rockets, or minimotos)? They are not really minibikes in the traditional sense; they are miniature Grand Prix racing motorcycles. They are machines accurate in detail, proportion, and craftsmanship to any world-class Grand Prix motorcycle. They have front and rear disk brakes, racing tires, fairings, and a lightweight aluminum-alloy–cast perimeter frame. They stand 
15 to 18 inches high depending on the model and brand, and they weigh between 18 and 20 kg. They may look like toys to some people, but these machines are built to the high-quality accuracy and proportion of a world-class bike. Most minibikes accelerate quickly to 30 miles per hour within 5 seconds. Many advertise speeds up to 50 miles per hour. They come with electric or gas-powered engines. A minibike handles much like a larger motorcycle, but because the wheel base and weight are much less, it changes direction quicker. The front wheel of the more powerful ones will come up without hesitation with application of power. Because of the short wheel base, it turns quickly and is more prone to rollovers and loss of control. These minibikes are sold as racing machines to be used on special racing courses.
Until recently, minibikes were used relatively infrequently until their popularity surged with aggressive marketing. One of the National Football League’s team mascot rides a minichopper around the stadium. A search for "minibike" on any Internet search engine yields a list of many Web sites that market these minibikes. Prices for the minibikes start as low as $115 and go up to $3000 per bike. Available online video clips advertising the bikes show children <16 years of age and adults riding these machines. One site shows an obese adult riding his minichopper without a helmet or any protective gear on a public road boasting of his machine’s speed. The ads are very colorful, appealing to children and adults, and market these machines as fun and safe. Some of the ads say their machines are designed for children down to 3 years of age. Some dealers clearly state that they will not be responsible for any injuries arising from the use of their machines, whereas other dealers don’t even bother to mention this issue of liability. They do recommend that younger children be supervised by an adult while operating one of these machines.
To be legal on public roads, motorized vehicles, including motorcycles, need to meet US Department of Transportation (DOT) vehicle design safety and equipment requirements. Manufacturers that meet these requirements provide a vehicle identification number and a manufacturer’s certificate of origin, which certifies that the vehicle meets DOT standards. All states require that if a motor vehicle is designed for use on public roads, it needs to be titled and registered. This requirement includes mounting of a license plate(s) and payment of a registration fee. Thus, if one has a motorized vehicle with no vehicle identification number, no title of ownership issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles, and no license plates, then it is meant for off-road use only. Minibikes do not fall under any DOT regulations, because they are not for public-road use.
Pomerantz et al1 note the alarming trend in the increased use of minibikes by children <16 years of age and the attendant injuries in Ohio. We suspect that every state is having a similar or worse problem. The authors of the article recommend the adoption of laws that would prohibit the sale to and use of minibikes by children <16 years of age.1 The American Academy of Pediatrics has strengthened its recommendation for passage of legislation in all states prohibiting the use of 2- and 4-wheeled off-road vehicles by children <16 years old, as well as a ban on the sale of new and used 3-wheeled all-terrain vehicles, with a recall of all used 3-wheeled all-terrain vehicles.2 Such legislation offers the widest possible protection for children. The reality of passing such legislation and then enforcing it is where the problem lies.
Motocross racing for children is a well-organized sport with rules and regulations developed by the American Motorcyclist Association Sports Rules Committee.3 It would be very hard to come in at this late date and make these activities illegal. These rules and regulations have been developed for off-road racing events. None of the organizations that promote these activities promote on-road use of the vehicles. Every state in the United States has different rules and regulations regarding the use of these vehicles by children <16 years of age.
If sweeping legislation was passed on the federal level to ban the sale and use of these machines, then that would be a beginning. However, it seems to the authors that the likelihood of getting this type of legislation introduced and passed in the current administration is rather remote.1 The Consumer Product and Safety Commission (www.kidsource.com/CPSC) has been unable to prohibit the sale of these types of machines to date, and thus each state is left to decide how best to deal with the issues of preventing serious injuries from the sale and use of these off-road vehicles.
The issue of regulating the use of these vehicles in off-road situations would be beyond the ability of the law enforcement officers unless their use was somehow involved in criminal activity. Insurance policies could be written to make the use of these laws, and any injuries from their use could be excluded from home-owners’ policies and medical insurance plans. At the time of sale there could be a very high user tax applied to discourage the purchase of these machines. A driver-education course could be a prerequisite to use these vehicles. Educational focus groups should be developed to figure out what sort of messages would help children and their parents to understand the inherent dangers of these minibikes.
The use of these machines on public roads is a much easier policy to develop and enforce. Each state should have very clear statutes prohibiting the use of these machines on public roads. In Oregon, operation of an unsafe vehicle is a class B traffic violation (ORS 815.020) and carries a fine of up to $360.4,5 Operation of a vehicle that violates equipment rules is a class C traffic violation (ORS 815.100) and carries a fine of up to $180.4,5 Also, a parent or legal guardian of a child <16 years old who authorizes or knowingly allows a child to operate a motor-assisted vehicle may be subject to a traffic citation and fine (ORS 814.536).4,5
An education program could be developed in conjunction with the state department of motor vehicles to encourage the enforcement of existing regulations. This educational program also needs to be distributed by the media and in school settings. The use of protective gear needs to be mandated. There is no question that motorcycle-helmet legislation and mandated use increases helmet use and decreases average hospital stay, risk of critical injury, risk of head injury, medical costs, and cost of long-term disability.6–11 Additionally, legislated helmet use saves hundreds of millions of dollars per year in medical care and rehabilitation expenses, whereas nonuse costs billions of dollars each year in the form of increased taxation, higher insurance costs, and lost taxes.9
Parents and children using these machines should be encouraged to watch educational videos showing the graphic nature of the various types of injuries and the resulting impact on the child’s future. Deaths from the use of these machines need to be discussed at time of purchase with the both the parent and the child. Any educational programs developed need to be flashy and appealing to compete with the existing ads promoting the sale and use of these machines.
The passage of legislation requiring the use of motorcycle helmets for any child using these machines in an off-road setting should be on every state’s legislative agenda. Model legislation could be developed to require the usage of a DOT-approved motorcycle helmet when operating one of these machines. This type of legislation should be modeled after the helmet laws in many states when a child is operating a bicycle, skateboard, scooter, or in-line skates. In many states, after the passage of mandatory bike-helmet laws for children, the usage of bike helmets went from <5% to >60%, and bike-related injuries decreased by as much as 50%.12 Coalitions can be developed with expertise from trauma centers, law enforcement officers, medical groups, Safe Kids Coalitions (www.safekids.org), departments of motor vehicles, patients who have been permanently paralyzed, and parents who have lost a child in an accident involving the use of one of these machines. Enforcement of such laws would be difficult, because law enforcement officers are not usually involved in off-road activities. However, passage of such helmet laws would have an educational effect for both the parent and child that would reduce some of these injuries. Every primary care provider should include discussion of the dangers of these vehicles in routine health maintenance visits starting at 3 years of age.
Last, we would all do well to heed the words of Batman: "He who knows what to fear, Robin, knows how to proceed with safety. In good bat climbing as in good driving one must never sacrifice safety for speed."
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FOOTNOTES |
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Accepted Jan 25, 2005.
Address correspondence to Brahm Goldstein, MD, FCCM, Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Clinical Research Office, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, 707 SW Gaines St, Mail Code: CDRCP, Portland, OR 97239. E-mail: goldsteb{at}ohsu.edu
No conflict of interest declared.
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- Pomerantz W, Gittleman M, Smith G. No license required: severe pediatric motorbike-related injuries in Ohio.
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[Abstract/Free Full Text] - Prevention AAoPCoIaP. All-terrain vehicle injury prevention: two-, three-, and four-wheeled unlicensed motor vehicles.
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[Abstract/Free Full Text] - AHRMA Handbook. Goodlettsville, TN: American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association, Ltd; 2005
- Oregon Department of Transportation. Make sure you have a merry mini-motorcycle ride [press release]. Salem, OR: Oregon Department of Transportation; 2004. Available at: www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/news/nr_20041215.shtml. Accessed February 1, 2005
- Oregon Department of Transportation. Fact sheet for mini-motorbikes/scooters. Salem, OR: Oregon Department of Transportation; 2004. Available at: www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/vehicle/pocketbike_factsheet.shtml. Accessed February 1, 2005
- Council on Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association. Helmets and preventing motorcycle- and bicycle-related injuries.
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- Nurchi GC, Golino P, Floris F, Meleddu V, Coraddu M. Effect of the law on compulsory helmets in the incidence of head injuries among motorcyclists. J Neurosurg Sci. 1987;31 :141 –143[Medline]
- Panichaphongse V, Watanakajorn T, Kasantikul V. Effects of law promulgation for compulsory use of protective helmets on death following motorcycle accidents. J Med Assoc Thai. 1995;78 :521 –525[Medline]
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PEDIATRICS (ISSN 1098-4275). ©2005 by the American Academy of Pediatrics
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