Is there an age limit?

[Gnarbunkle99]

Bundy is not even allowed to pillion Tex anymore, how sad is that!

[johnnydolittle]

I took my daughter for a ride from Tallangatta to Albury the other day.

After much heated discussion it was agreed that she would not wear her fairy wings - she is five years old.

40 Kilometres each way, not bad for a first real real ride.

(We've been up and down the back lane and around the streets of Tallangatta in our Princess dress before - not me, her!)

On the way back it felt a little worrying as she insisted on not hanging on, because it was more fun to flap her wings and pretend to fly

anyway, it kinda got me thinking, is there a minimum age to be a pillion ?

This is a piece from Road Rules Victoria, which is pretty much word for word with the Australian Road Rules Rules 271 (2) and some other states but not NSW any more.

A passenger on a motorbike (except a passenger in a sidecar
or on a seat, other than a pillion seat, designed for a
passenger) that is moving, or is stationary but not parked,
must—
(a) sit astride the pillion seat facing forwards; and
(b) keep both feet on the footrests designed for use by a
pillion passenger on the motorbike.

The whole idea of the ARR was to have a unified set of rules for the whole country. Unfortunately some states have changed them to suit their own agendas which defeats the purpose of why they were brought in.

[Madmax]

[/quote]

U sure there not the grand kids Max. Fark i thought u were as old as me
[/quote]

I'm only 35 mate, just had a hard life!



Max

[mybb]

my rule is, show your id and prove your 18. You are therefore considered adult enough to decide if you want to take the risk of being on a bike, and being on a bike with me.

I guess as a parent you make these decisions on the childs behalf. I can't imagine living with myself if something happend to my child after making the decision for them.

I am particular about my wifes riding gear if she gets on the back but she says, if your riding, so am I, that way we die together.

[gixxer]

I couldn't imagine living with myself either if something happened.... but in saying that....if it's so dangerous, why ride at all?? wouldn't leaving your child father / motherless be nearly as tragic.

I understand each to their own, but how can anyone put their child's life so high on the important list, but not also consider them growing up without a parent??

Is riding really that dangerous...or is it just the situations that we put ourselves in from time to time??

[mybb]

As an adult you get to take educated risks. In the original post it was suggested that your child might find it amusing to have their arms flapping around. You dont necessarily know what they are doing and nor can you pay them the attention they require. How many people have ducked to the back seat to fix a childs seat belt? There is no seat belt on a bike, there is no mirror to see what they may or may not be doing like you would as part of reading the traffic while in a car. As an adult rider you should be educated enough to know that letting go of the bike on a corner while flapping your arms and laughing at your fairy wings is a bad idea. Your kid might not and you dont necessarily know they are doing it.

As a rider with an adult pillion. My wife has a habbit of falling asleep on the bike.. If her head doesnt hit my back then I might not know. Who knows what your 20kg kid is doing, you cant even feel them on there.

That said. I dont have kids so I'm not passing judgement on people that do, it's a hypothetical for me.

Is riding really dangerous? Of course, look at the stats. How many of us here have hit the ground? We not only put ourselves in situations but we are also only as safe as the next person on the road and we have all seen the lack of skills out there.

[DAD]

Motor bikes are dangerous at the best of times but the way I see it is like anyone who rides a bike are like the warrior's of old like the vikings they would do there thing always knowing the dangers of war but they never put there woman or children in danger. Yes we are warrior's ive had a friend killed friends smashed up and ive been bashed up several times too but i just cant stop.

[Rev004]

Yes, as of 1JULY2008 it is 8 YEARS OF AGE and they must be able to reach the pegs.
Otherwise you can be booked.

Is this Australia wide ??

Whe the hell did that come in I always take my sisters kids etc for a ride.
I will have ask my relative about WA he's a coppa hear in WA, cAstAgeAr I will post the answer when I find out.

Thanks

I was speaking to my rally the other day and he will find out for sure but from what he was saying that WA might be doing something the same as the east so will get back to you, but I'm off to QLD so will get back when I get back, even if I PM you but will be a few weeks.

[Rev004]

cAstAgeAr I have spoken with my rally recently and this is what he is saying from the boys in blue perspective here in WA..

Currently WA has no legal age limit for pillions but there is talk of bringing WA into allignment with the rest of the states.

Now the one thing that he did mention is that when you carry a pillion and if a pillion was to come off ie due to not being able to hang on you could find yourself in some hot water and may find that you could get done for dangerous riding or something along those lines.

He is going to find out exactly what is happening with this as he is a bike rider himself and also takes his kids for a ride as well. If I get anymore info will let you know.

[cAstAgeAr]

cAstAgeAr I have spoken with my rally recently and this is what he is saying from the boys in blue perspective here in WA..

Currently WA has no legal age limit for pillions but there is talk of bringing WA into allignment with the rest of the states.

Now the one thing that he did mention is that when you carry a pillion and if a pillion was to come off ie due to not being able to hang on you could find yourself in some hot water and may find that you could get done for dangerous riding or something along those lines.

He is going to find out exactly what is happening with this as he is a bike rider himself and also takes his kids for a ride as well. If I get anymore info will let you know.

Cheers for that..

[GCBusa]

I think the 8yr old thing has come in in Qld also but I have had my three daughters on the back of my bikes from a very young age. As a result, they have a great respect for motorcycling and are a more predictable and relaxed pillion due to the experience. (Much better pillions than the hand-brake I've got to say)
Of course you have all the right protection for them (correct helmet, gloves, jacket, boots and pants) and you ride with a different perspective when they are on board. Hopefully this will teach them something that will get them to think twice about jumping on the back of a bike without the right gear or approach if they meet some young lad who tries to impress them with a bike when they get to 'that' age.
My first ride was when I was a similar age on the back of an ol' R-90 BMW and it gave me the bug, and I'm sure pleanty of others were the same. If my girls end up with the same interest, but with a real respect for what they are doing, then they could do worse.