Is there a motorcycle safety belt or some other safety device used to connect a young child to the driver?

Question

My little girl cannot reach the footpegs (by 8-10 inches) and she is pestering me to take her for a ride ever since she got a helmet for her 5th birthday. I would love to, but safety comes first. I have asked a Michigan State Police Officer about laws govorning child passengers on motorcycles and he informed me that there is no age limit, and the only law he was familiar with was that for a passenger to ride on a motorcycle, the bike has to have 2 things - a rear seat and rear footpegs.

Answer 1

I take my kids out for little rides. We go slow around town.



And I am sure you are smart enough to dress her properly! Geez, people are freaking out! Don't they take there kids for bicycle rides? That can be just as dangerous with traffic around.



The law in Alberta is no passenger in front of you. (I think) And I think that would be unsafe for control of the bike.



I think it would not be safe to harness them to you. I have told all of mine (age 5 to 9) that if the bike is falling over, to get away from it so it doesn't land on top of them. I don't worry about them falling off though. They hook there fingers through my belt loops in the front of me.



It would be safer if her feet reached the pegs. But I think as long as she had somewhere to firmly place them, for stability.



Remember to tell her that if she rides it, she has to help clean it! (but they usually like this anyway!)

Answer 2

No, no, no, no.

Connecting a child to the driver would be like murder should you come off the bike. Which happens.

If she can't reach the foot pegs she can't go on the bike. End of story. Illegal, idiotic, insane.

Which idiot gave a 5 year old a helmet?

Answer 3

Old riding buddy used to take his toddler on sporty- lap belted in front of him - something called a Kangaroo pouch- with a pad on gas tank to sit and feet were on hiway pegs mounted on front down tubes. Only hassle was when little kid was holding on to handlebars so dad could have both hands free to light pipe or hold beer cans to piss off cops, looked like kid was doing the steering. Point was noted in Illinois- the 'kangaroo pouch' secured kid in front and the front pegs at kids feet level met the legal requirements at the time. The front place child carriers have some different names, some without foot holes for babies, others for toddlers, walkers and this was what was used for 3 to 5 year olds.

Answer 4

Your cop friend was only half right. In Michigan, there is no minimum age for a child to ride on a motorcycle as a passenger, subject to one exception based on size rather than age:



MCL 257.658a states “A passenger shall not ride on a motorcycle unless his or her feet can rest on the assigned foot rests or pegs except…due to a permanent physical disability.”

Answer 5

Yeah you can find them on ebay and I think this guy below did a review of one but it is like a back pack kind of. The thing connects the child to your back.

Answer 6

If her feet can not reach the footpegs than forget it, her leg/feet could get into the rear wheel.

Answer 7

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Can you even imagine what would happen to a small child who is attached to an adult if they crash a motorcycle and BOTH went flying? Watch a video of a motorcycle racer who crashes at speed and skids along the pavement or into a retaining wall. How do you think a child would fare if attached to the rider?



The STANDARD for a child passenger is that they have to wear a properly fitted helmet, be able to hold on by themselves AND put their feet on the pegs.

Answer 8

Local laws must vary, where I live the passenger has to be able to put his/her feet on the pegs. I would not risk my flesh and blood on a bike without at least being able to reach the pegs. Of course you could engineer a way to raise the pegs with some simple brackets that attach to the existing pegs.



You can buy a belt with handles to hold onto.

Answer 9

you must be a little daft to even think of allowing a small child to be a pillion passenger ...your actions are very irresponsible ..start thinking about the child ....and children dont always get what they want

Answer 10

No, and you would not want your child connected to you in the event of an unplanned get off. If the child isn't big enough to hold on to you and/or reach the passenger pegs, they have no business on your bike. Sorry, but I wouldn't want the risk.