AIBU to ask if bicycle towing a child carrier looks unbelievably unsafe?

[longwayoff]

I don't spend much time in traffic but noticed one of these the other day which made me feel a bit concerned. Today, the Mail has video of someone crossing 3 lanes of traffic with one attached. They look dangerous on so many levels. How can they be legal?

I agree thats its unsafe regardless of where the fault lies in an accident. Front-mounted kids seem better than trailed in those flimsy little things :(

Have there been ANY deaths in the UK to children being towed in cycle carriers???

I prefer the cargo bikes but they are expensive and single purpose. At least the trailer you can uncouple it and use your bike as just a bike.

They are not inherently unsafe - especially with one of those flay things to aid viability to higher vehicles.

Cars don't need to kill cyclists you know... just like men don't need to rape women.

If more people used them it would be safer for all - a great non polluting way to transport kids. Just give them a wide berth when driving like you would a horse, or should we ban them too. As far as I'm aware there are not many if any deaths connected with them.

Some of the logic here is a bit off. Even if they only reason they were unsafe was because of people driving badly (which ignores the potential of them flipping or somebody cycling irresponsibly or a pothole) who would take that risk with their kids?

I'm not sure why people think they're flimsy, they normally have an internal roll cage and there are European Standards they have to meet.

Yes they are so dangerous! There is no side protection, the children are shielded by a flimsy pvc window, so if they clipped an edge they’d hurt themselves badly. I used to see a man riding his kids to school everyday along a busy road and I used to shudder thinking what could happen.

Glad to see this thread. I cant believe people are prepared to put tiny children at such risk of pollution or injury. Even in the event if the smallest accidental conract with a larger car, bus or lorry (regardless of who is to blame) the child has no protection. Madness .

Yanbu

I used to see a woman daily with one of these. Looked like a tent on a bendy stick, very windy country road and used to think WTF

Cars are the biggest killers on our roads

I'm surprised nobody has invented a fibreglass one with crumple zones and whizzy bits by now.

I think they’re an excellent idea in principle (exercise, better for the environment) but I would never use one except somewhere like a Holiday Park. I see them on the roads here and quite honestly think I wouldn’t put my dog in one

YANBU. Apart from the obvious lack of protection, pot holes etc they're just at the right height for maximum exhaust fumes inhalation. I walk down a very busy main road to work and there's a couple of parents I see regularly with kids in trailers. I often cover my face with my scarf as the fumes are so bad, can't imagine what it's like for those little kids sat behind buses etc in slow moving traffic.

Cars are the biggest killers on our roads

Surely that's because of how many are on the road?

Cars dont have to kill people, but they regularly do

I think they look very unsafe. I bike the DC (and their friends!) around a lot, but I have a Babboe Big. Much safer IMO. I can see them, judge what's in front of me, and it's solid.

Blimey Is that a picture of the child catcher....

Scary

There was one on the m62 in Liverpool. People do shockingly stupid things. 10 years ago a child was killed in one of the on a main A road. A man became frustrated in a long queue of traffic behind ten cyclist and deliberately rammed the trolley - he thought it was a luggage trailer. He got a manslaughter conviction. You cannot ever rely on other drivers behaviour.

I had no idea people used them on roads! I can’t believe you’d put your children in that much danger! I think they’re brilliant for cycle paths though (which is the only place I’ve seen them used).

We've got one, it's used for the nursery run. However, we have a foot/cycle path the whole way. No roads needed. I categorically wouldn't use it on the road.

I saw loads when my now teen DD was tiny. I remember clearly seeing one going round a roundabout you absolutely have to take to access the city, approached by 3 dual carriageways and another A road. My heart was in my mouth.
I haven’t seen any in years though so thought they’d largely fallen out of fashion or something major had happened to cause guidance on their use to change.

They fill me with horror when I see them, I give them a wide berth but road users in high vehicles wouldn't necessarily know that the trailer is there (even in a 4x4 you need a fair bit of distance, a van/wagon/lorry would be worse).

Does this suit your delicate disposition better Martha

'There was one on the m62 in Liverpool.'

They are very safe in parks or properly segregated cycle highways (obviously there is always a small risk they may tip but that are categorically not appropriate to use on your average British road. Even if you ignore the car fumes it’s just a tragedy waiting to happen. Although anyone cycling on a road rather than a segregated cycle path is incredibly stupid little wagon thing or not.

No

Still beyond odd

Just ever so slightly less sinister