Toddler on a dual sport, possible?

Is it possible to have a toddler (18 months old) on a dual sport as a passenger?

Reason im asking is the other day i had to go somewhere, my wife was out and she had the car, and i was with my youngest son who is 18 MO, thought about taking the bike with him obviously in front of me, but dont even know if its legal, safe, or anything?

ive given him rides on the bike just around the garages in my townhouse area, but never on a actuall street,

what say you inmates?

yay, nay, or im a dumbass for even thinking about doing that.

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume there's no helmet in the works. It's worth pointing out that baby heads are even squishier than adult heads.

There is a helmet for sure, DOT approved and all, both my son and daughter have little DOT mx style helmets, just for when i take them on little rides around our townhome.

I don't want to sound too "dark" here, but when I read your question, first thing that came to my mind was the story below...
It happened not long ago not far from where I live.
Very sad story all around, all the way to the last sentence.
Sh!t happens quick... Think twice. Call a cab and put the kido in a car seat. It's only going to cost you money...

News article:

TAYLORSVILLE — A toddler was pronounced dead after a motorcycle he was riding on with his father crashed.

Around 2:40 p.m. Sunday, Unified Police Department received a call about a motorcycle crash involving a 1-year-old boy and his father in an apartment complex parking lot at 4521 S. Bridgeside Way in Taylorsville.

The man, 48-year-old Shannon Moore had taken his son for a ride on a motorcycle, placing him between himself and the handlebars, sitting on top of the gas tank.

Driving at an excessive speed, Moore tried to negotiate a turn and lost control of the motorcycle, crashing. The toddler fell off the gas tank, sustaining fatal injuries.

"This is something we see a lot," said Unified Police Department Det. Levi Highes. "People want to take their kids for a ride, they put them on a four-wheeler, a motorcycle, they drive around, there aren't helmets on them. It just takes a little bit of a slip; you're holding onto a bike, you can't hold onto a child. …If you have a child who can't reach the pegs, can't hold on, this is far too young to be on a bike."

The boy was pronounced dead on scene, and Moore was transported to a hospital to be treated for his injuries.

The father may face criminal charges for his son's death pending the outcome of the investigation.



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From the CHP:
A child may ride as a passenger on a motorcycle when he/she is no longer required to be in a child restraint (car seat) and their feet can reach the passenger foot pegs. Failure to obey this could result in citations being issued for violations of 27360 of the California Vehicle Code (Child Passenger Restraint law) and 27800 of the Vehicle Code (Motorcycles - Passengers: Equipment and Usage). Additionally, depending on the circumstances, an officer could cite or arrest the adult for child endangerment.

From here: http://www.kionrightnow.com/story/1...age-to-have-a-child-passenger-on-a-motorcycle

as the kid wont be able to reach the rear pegs then it wont be safe or legal. there is to much of a risk in case he slips of the tank and fall to the ground when you are stopped could damge a bady.

Ya know it's very odd ... I googled toddler on pushbike and it came up with bucket loads of hits :eek1

This is just one of them http://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/bikes-and-riding/41629/

Of course everyone knows that pushbikes are safe because they are human rather than mechanical powered so that makes it ok

A bicycle weighs far less, generally travels at a lower speed and those seats you see in your links are designed to protect the kid in the event of a fall (they still need a helmet, though). As far as I know, there is no 'booster seat' designed or available for use on a motorcycle.

No, and you said it in your last sentence.

It's your kid. If you can figure out a way to mitigate the risk down to a reasonable level and find a way to keep him on the bike then go for it.

[key up the "it takes a village" people]

Gotcha, well good to know, i was just asking cause i really did not know anything about it, and figured the people on here would know, as i know most of us have kids.

Thanks for posting up the actuall rules AZbiker, that is good to know, my 6 year old is good to go, the young one, is a no go for sure, good call about the cab too just in case.

Just assume what might go wrong. If you are able to reasonably control most of these things go for it as Dakez said. However if anything can happen that you are not able to control just don't. I just don't think it is of an age where you can reason with it.

Possible? Sure -- I see folks around here riding a family of four around on a scooter regularly (papa driving, momma on the back, kids wedged in between, or standing on the deck in front of papa, usually with one helmet between the four of 'em.) Recommended? Not so much. My opinion is sidecar ok, pillion not ok until they can really hold on (and stay awake.)

a: what would your wife say if she saw it?

b: what would a cop do if he/she saw it?

Seems like the wrong choice of transportation to me - I'd cite someone for negligence (if I were a cop).

Go ahead, take a chance.

BUT.......

You could be cited for child endangerment.

Child protective services will get involved, and in this state, it would probably put ALL the kids into court-ordered foster care until after the courts have ruled on parental fitness.

If there was an accident and the kid was hurt or worse, you could end up in prison. Feel lucky?

What was so imortant that you "had to" go right that minute? Call your wife and have her come back with the car. Call a friend. find a store that delivers. What did you "have to" go out for? Call a taxi; funny how you have to have the kid strapped into a seat in a car, but you can just sit 'wm on the bike....

Seriously, suppose you have to make an emergency maneuver that requires both hands to the bars for you to maintain cotnrol while you are braking and sweriving, how are you going to hold onto the kid? Strapped to a carrier attached to your body? If you fall on him you'll crush him and possibly kill him while his cushioning effect saves you.

I say avoid doing this unless it is so important for you to go out that it would warrant a 9-1-1 call. In which case you WOULDN'T have to go since 9-1-1 brings help to you.

Unfortunately, based on the CA rules that were posted, your 6 year old is not good to go. As of January this year, kids up to 8 years old are required to be in a car seat.

Let's see . . .

A heavy, ill fitting helmet on a weak-necked infant's head. How much, actually how little, force will it take to snap the little tyke's neck?

And you trust the kid to hold on, or will you be using one arm to hold the kid?

I'm generally in the "let the kids ride in the back of a pickup truck" camp if the parents so choose. But this is just an awful idea. (and the stuff that leads to governments to pass laws that restrict reasonable parents). Seriously, the more I think about this, there is nothing even remotely reasonable about it.

Thanks for asking, but if it comes up again, don't fucking do it. Please. Pretty please.

So if im reading this correctly, what you inmates are saying is this

Buy a rear rack and bungee cord the toddler onto the rear rack, with a full size mx style open helmet, ok go it.


Lots of what if's for sure, lol

Calm down, i never did it, i was just asking to see if others have had come across the same situation, but in all seriousness now, yeah you guys are absolutely right, no bueno, gotcha!

So now kids have to be in booster seats until they are 8 years old? thats news to me, i thought it was once they are 45 pounds or more, they no longer need a booster seat.