Babies on a motorcycle? Have yet to see that in this country.
S.C. Bill AIMS TO Require Child Safety Seats And Belts On Motorcycles
A bill that would require babies and small children to be secured to a motorcycle with seat belts is under consideration by South Carolina lawmakers.
S.C. state Rep. Joseph Daning (R-Berkely Co.) filed legislation (H. 3040) that would require a standard, rear-facing child safety seat to be used for motorcycle passengers from birth up to 1 year of age, and for a belt-positioning booster seat with both lap and shoulder belts for children younger than 7 and weighing 40-80 pounds. “We take care of our children in cars, but they’re so unprotected on the back of motorcycles” said Daning, who added that the bill was prompted by constituents who feared an ex-spouse would ride their children on a motorcycle.
Rep. Bill Taylor called Daning’s proposal “government overreach” and said motorcyclists are a safety-conscious community, but child-safety advocates support Daning’s efforts. Only a handful of states impose a minimum age for riders, and South Carolina is not one of them according to the Children’s Trust of South Carolina, pointing out that 25 children required emergency medical attention due to motorcycle injuries in the state from 2007 through 2009.
ABATE of SC state coordinator, Ralph Bell, emphasized that there have been no fatalities of passengers under 7, and said changing the law would hinder charity events. Dennis Welborn, the state legislative coordinator for ABATE told the Morris News Service that “Its passage would cause much more harm than good," and in particular, mounting a child safety seat on a motorcycle would change its center of gravity, making it unwieldy, affecting its handling and braking abilities.
S.C. Bill AIMS TO Require Child Safety Seats And Belts On Motorcycles
A bill that would require babies and small children to be secured to a motorcycle with seat belts is under consideration by South Carolina lawmakers.
S.C. state Rep. Joseph Daning (R-Berkely Co.) filed legislation (H. 3040) that would require a standard, rear-facing child safety seat to be used for motorcycle passengers from birth up to 1 year of age, and for a belt-positioning booster seat with both lap and shoulder belts for children younger than 7 and weighing 40-80 pounds. “We take care of our children in cars, but they’re so unprotected on the back of motorcycles” said Daning, who added that the bill was prompted by constituents who feared an ex-spouse would ride their children on a motorcycle.
Rep. Bill Taylor called Daning’s proposal “government overreach” and said motorcyclists are a safety-conscious community, but child-safety advocates support Daning’s efforts. Only a handful of states impose a minimum age for riders, and South Carolina is not one of them according to the Children’s Trust of South Carolina, pointing out that 25 children required emergency medical attention due to motorcycle injuries in the state from 2007 through 2009.
ABATE of SC state coordinator, Ralph Bell, emphasized that there have been no fatalities of passengers under 7, and said changing the law would hinder charity events. Dennis Welborn, the state legislative coordinator for ABATE told the Morris News Service that “Its passage would cause much more harm than good," and in particular, mounting a child safety seat on a motorcycle would change its center of gravity, making it unwieldy, affecting its handling and braking abilities.
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