The RSA and An Garda Síochána are urging parents not to gift children quad bikes and scramblers this Christmas
Before you buy a quad bike or scrambler as a gift for a child this year think twice;
1) Three of the six people who died in Ireland as a result of an incident involving a quad bike or scrambler were aged 18 or under between 2014 and 2019, according to the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
2) Like anything it’s not the quad bike that is dangerous, it’s the way it’s handled and many accidents are caused by a lack of training and/or experience.
3) Excessive speed is a key factor in accidents and children simply don’t have the strength, skills or experience to handle a bike that can be easily overturned if not controlled properly.
4) Children under 16 haven’t developed the skills to judge speed and distance and often collide with objects and other riders, causing injury to themselves and others.
5) Rollovers can be fatal, the risk of rollover increases when travelling at high speeds, carrying a load or travelling through unfamiliar or rough terrain.
6) Quad bikers or scramblers are not toys.
Geraldine Herbert
