Don't ban kids on bikes

Calls for a ban on kids using motorcycles have been rejected by Honda Motorcycles in Australia as being counter-productive.

A very young child died recently in country Victoria after a mishap with a mini bike, which lead to a call from Mark Stokes of Kidsafe Victoria for a ban on children under 16 using motorcycles.

He told The Age newspaper, "The reality is that children under 12 do not have the developed strength or motor skills to handle motorbikes and riders also needed to develop a greater maturity and sense of judgment, road safety and responsibility," he said.

Here is Honda Australia's response:

In light of the recent tragic death of a three-year-old boy who lost control of his mini motorbike near his home in Horsham, VIC, Honda Australia has publicly reinforced the message that rider education from a young age is the key to safety.

According to Honda's Managing Director, Stuart Strickland, a "ban" on riding for those under 16 years of age, as has been suggested by some advocate groups, is not the answer.

"If children are educated and supervised properly, it lessens the chance of anything untoward happening," he said.

"To try and keep kids from pursuing their dreams and learning how to ride is not going to achieve anything except more tragedy. It is vital that we embrace their desire to learn, and help them along the path in a mature, safe way."

Recent statistics published in the media suggest that there are an inordinately high number of injuries sustained by youngsters from motorcycle accidents. However there are also statistics to support the fact that there are a comparable number of young patients admitted for other non-motorised sport related injuries (i.e. football).

"At the end of the day, it is about making sure kids know what they are doing. Honda proactively supports the ongoing education of children to help them to understand the responsibilities involved with motorcycling through our Red Riders and SMART programs."

"We see these programs as an extremely important part of our community obligation," Strickland added.

Honda currently runs a training program aimed at kids, called Red Riders. See this link: www.redriders.com.au