To think no sensible parent would do this?

[iMemoo]

A boy from Ds's class at school is picked up by his dad and taken home on the back of a motorbike!! He wears a helmet but then just his school shirt and shorts. If he did come off while they were travelling at speed the poor child would have his skin ripped to shreds.

Aibu to think this is absolute madness? Who let's their 9 year old ride on the back of a motorbike!?

Is it even legal to have a child on a motorbike?

Having seen injuries on people who have come off bikes going at fairly slow speed, I would say this is incredibly dangerous. The most common injuries where people come off bikes while not wearing protective clothing are degloving injuries, which is basically where the skin and muscle is just completely removed from the leg, often down to the bone. This happens when people fall and are then dragged along the road a little way by the bike. It can be life threatening, leaves people hugely vulnerable to infection and is obviously very disfiguring.

It is also worth remembering that however careful the father is, you can't guarrantee that other road users are being as safe. I say this as someone who loves motorbikes and regularly rides pillion - but in full armoured protective gear. IMOH, to put a child with bare arms and legs on the back of a bike is totally neglectful.

Entire families and the dog and the weekly shop, all in bags dangling off every protuberance.

Betty, that's just made my stomach turn!

Leonard - my DH hitched a lift in Vietnam on a moped whilst carrying his own pushbike!

Perfectly normal in many countries. I probably would do this if I still had bikes, which I don't. I'd out them in better clothes though.

YANBU

The other day, I saw a dad and his son on a motorbike.
The child was about 2 and sitting in the front. I'd say that was more dangerous.

I have passed a dad taking his child to school on a motorbike a few times recently - the child looks quite young (I would say 6/7, possibly a very small 8) and is in the uniform of a local private primary school which limits how old he can possibly be. He is always in his school uniform shorts with bare legs.

The dad is a bit kamikaze about squeezing through gaps and overtaking in the face of oncoming traffic. I actually nearly hit him a couple of weeks ago when he overtook the line of traffic I was in and tried to cut in between me and a traffic island. I was horrified to see the child on the back.

Blooming eck! It should be illegal. I don't understand why there are so many laws regarding car seats etc and yet a child can ride on a motorbike.

Reminds me of the time I saw a man cycling on the motorway with a little kid on the back. I think he must have taken a wrong turn though beause I didnt think it was physically possible for a human to pedal that fast and he looked terrified!!!

Betty you just gave me the boak a bit there! I knew that kinda thing happened but to hear it called degloving gave me a really horrific graphic mental picture!

OP - YANBU, there's a dad who does the same at my school. Tbh I see so many dangerous situations on the way to school I'm amazed more kids aren't hurt - tiny kids cycling up the middle of the road with no helmet on (when there's a perfectly good pavement AND an alternative route that doesn't even go near the road that they could go on). But I honestly think the worst are those toddler trailer things you pull behind a bike, which I constantly see on our very busy main road - if someone doesn't brake in time behind you, your toddlers are basically "protected" by a flimsy bit of nylon. I just can't believe those things are legal on the roads. (end of rant - sorry went off topic!)

actually stillfeel the trailers have steel roll bars (or at least the good ones do) so that although they look terrifying, they are apparently pretty safe - if a car hits them they bounce out of the way. Not that I'd use one myself, my gut says no!

And in Greece too Morloth - usually granny sits side-saddle!

When we went to the Dominican Republic......the way they ride their scooters there must be fatalities every day!!! Shocking!!

BettyDraper I totally agree.

I spent most of a shift in A&E cleaning bits of the A27 out of a bloke's leg once. And he'd had jeans on.

I get the heebyjeebies when I see adults and teens on mopeds and motorbikes in the summer, wearing shorts and a T-shirt and little else. I get the complete cold sweats when I see children on motorbikes especially if inadequately dressed.

WARNING - VERY VERY GRAPHIC PICTURE OF A MOTORCYCLIST'S FOOT INJURY - but would you risk this for your child?

It is legal, provided the child's feet reach the footrests and a helmet is worn.

But I completely agree about protective clothing - skin looks better on the body than scraped off down the road surface (just think of how bad a graze can be when a child falls when they're walking). You need leather and/or kevlar, or one of the specialist and really sturdy jackets or all-in-ones like a Belstaff, as well as really good boots.

I just don't see how anyone can begin to be happy with the risk/benefit balance of mopeds or motorbikes without the proper protective clothing.

And I would like to add that it's an underappreciated risk for cyclists too.

I expect my DSs will be desperate to ride pillion with my DH as soon as they can but there is no way in the world that he'd let them without all the safety gear - helmet, boots, gloves, jacket and trousers (and these things are available in children's sizes!) We've not talked about what age we'll let them yet (they are a long way off being old enough!) but I doubt either of us would feel comfortable with regular journeys on the bike for a 9 year old.

Life comes with risks. The kid could be cycling home and suffer appalling injury if hit by a car - should we demand that all children wear leathers on pushbikes too?

Tonning it down the country lanes = leathers are a must, two minutes in slow traffic home from school = leathers are excessive IMHO. Yes the child COULD get hurt. As he could taking the bus, crossing the road, going down stairs, playing football...

Tiny hijack -- do people riding quadbikes on public roads need helmets? There's an old local guy out on his quad bike regularly with no helmet. Had his Jack Russell dog on lap the other day while driving, too. I have a vague notion I saw himwith a human passenger other day, too (no helmet?).

Helmets on quadbikes are not necessary in law, ragged. :)

I don't think the motorbike itself is a problem but no proper clothing definitely is - I cringe every time I see anyone on a motorbike without protective clothing.

Degloving.

Some of these bikes are so fucking heavy, you really don't have to be going that fast. Even if it's just a short trip, add 'em all up over a few years and the odds are pretty good something unpleasant will happen.

Every motorcyclist I know has come off at some point. A bad driver. A bit of oil on the road on a bend. It's easily done. If not for their leathers, at least two of my friends would have died.

dont they say that most road traffic accidents happen within a 2 mile radius of your home?or was is 5 miles?half remember that from 1st aid course.

YANBU

My DP is a biker, he would not take someone on pillion unless they wore protective trousers and a jacket. He would not take dd on the back of the bike until she could fit into the protective gear we had. I think you can take a child on pillion at age 8 (dd didn't go on the back of the bike until she was 11 however).

DP has severe scarring on his arms from tipping off a moped when he was 17 with a denim jacket on, his arms were ripped to shreds. After that he wore leathers - if you fall off with leather covering your arms and legs at least it has less chance of being severely injured.