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Texas: children under 5 as passengers

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tx2sturgis

tx2sturgis

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Location
Plainview Tx
First Name
Brian
As of September 1 its now illegal in Texas to carry a child under the age of 5 on a motorcycle, UNLESS: The child is in a sidecar, OR its an emergency.

The first offense ticket is $100.

Big brother is watching!

BTW...how is a cop supposed to know if a child is only 4 years and 10 months old unless you tell him??? ( hint hint )

And what defines an 'emergency'? I mean, maybe the little 3 year old is throwing a fit to go for a ride!!!

Here is the text of the new law, HB 537. This applies in Texas, whether you live here or are just PASSING THRU.







SECTION 3. Section 545.416, Transportation Code, is amended
by adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows:
(d) Except as provided by Subsection (e), an operator may
not carry another person on a motorcycle unless the other person is
at least five years of age. An offense under this subsection is a
misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 or more than
$200. It is a defense to prosecution under this subsection that the
operator was operating the motorcycle in an emergency or for a law
enforcement purpose.
(e) Subsection (d) does not prohibit an operator from
carrying on a motorcycle a person younger than five years of age who
is seated in a sidecar attached to the motorcycle.
SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
covered by the law in effect immediately before the effective date
of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that
purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was committed
before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
was committed before that date.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
Oh well...I dont have kiddos anyway....
 
Just more help from our benevolent dictators! You see, we no longer can take personal responsibility for ourselves, so we must look to the government to tell us what to do.
 
Most 4-5 year old kids tell the truth, nothing but the truth, or anything else that might embarrass you.
 
When my son was three, he told everyone he was "5". Now that he just had his fourth birthday, he tells everyone he is "4". He's been riding since he was two years old. I am not about to tell him he has to wait, so I take him riding in the field next door. Not quite the same, but pretty good. We used to ride to the store on the corner to get candy. Quite a big deal for the young man, and he continually asks to take a ride. Since it is all county where I live, I supposed we'll get back to riding to the store once he goes back to telling everyone he is FIVE.
 
I'm not pleased about this, I use to take my kids for rides when they were young also.

Who decides what I can do with my kids? Where was our vote and I don't mean the populace at large, the MC community, although it should never have happened in the first place.
 
Kids under 5 do not have the strength to hold on in an evasive maneuver nor the neck strength typically needed to support a motorcycle helmet (if you find one that fits) in an accident, ability to reach foot pegs, etc. etc. etc. I just assume that when you folks talk about taking your small ones out on your bike, you mean that you are circling your neighborhood and not out riding in traffic.

The end result is that our lousy big brother steps in when they feel they have to legislate bad parental choices. FYI, I give my kids rides on my goldwing with their helmets, but only in my neighborhood. That's the extent of the risk I will put them in.
 
Yes, and at that age the kids rode in front of me, nothing outside of the neighborhood, didn't want to scare the kids just slow riding with an occasional short quick acceleration down the street if the kids liked that and most I took did.

Now I have someone telling me that I can't do that? Get rid of all these politicians and we need a panel to interview who is capable to run, but that's a whole other thread.
 
Parents can't be trusted with their kids, only the government should have such an important responsibility.
 
Ghost Rider said:
When my son was three, he told everyone he was "5". Now that he just had his fourth birthday, he tells everyone he is "4". He's been riding since he was two years old. I am not about to tell him he has to wait, so I take him riding in the field next door. Not quite the same, but pretty good. We used to ride to the store on the corner to get candy. Quite a big deal for the young man, and he continually asks to take a ride. Since it is all county where I live, I supposed we'll get back to riding to the store once he goes back to telling everyone he is FIVE.
Click to expand...
Yea, but try getting them to say they are younger than they are. That'll never happen. I used to love it when I worked for the movie theater with parents trying to get their kids in free. "And how old are you young man?" "I'm FIVE!" with a huge smile on their face. "Thank you" from me and a scowl on the face of the parent. :rofl:
 
Boy. The issue is a 'pick-em' for me. Do I side with the stupid government who is almost always wrong about everything, or parents who should never have reproduced. Like I said above, I've let me kids ride with helmets on my goldwing in my neighborhood, and I've seen (one example) a parent riding a moped in heavy traffic with an 7-8 yo girl with flipflops, shorts, tank top and a bicycle helmet that doesn't come close to fitting right (mostly on the back of her head instead of the top) weaving through traffic.
 
My kids got a few rides around the block before age 5. I wouldn't want to go any significant speed or distance with a kid who can't reach the pegs and probably doesn't understand the importance of holding on.
 
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