Solon urges Congress to pass bill prohibiting children from riding motorcycles

Thursday, 26 May 2011 09:19

Allowing children to ride a motorcycle will soon be declared as a criminal act punishable by stiffer penalties.

Rep. Romeo Acop (2nd District, Antipolo City) urged his colleagues to support House Bill 3554, which aims to promote public safety and protection of children from the hazards of the road.

"I am positive that the measure, which is under further study by the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the House Committee on Transportation will get positive results," Acop said.

In filing the bill, Acop said riding a motorcycle, whether as a driver or rider requires a balance of body weight and the weight of the bike especially in high-speed driving.

"Children's physical frailty and their lack of agility as compared to that of an adult while co-riding in a motorcycle place them at great risk," Acop said.

Acop said parents and adults must prevent children below nine years of age from riding a motorcycle as they are exposed to a higher risk of being involved in an accident.

"Parents and adults need to play a more active role in inculcating basic and good road safety values in children and must lead by example in displaying the correct attitude on the road and in abiding by traffic regulations. On the other hand, children of tender age must have a good basic foundation and understanding of what road safety is," Acop stressed.

Citing a report conducted by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Acop said records show that on the average, motorcycles have the highest fatality accident rate among motor vehicles. Among the leading causes of motorcycle accidents is overloading.

"Motorcycle accidents can be minimized by a proactive, preventive approach in the shaping and implementation of traffic regulations. It is the declared policy of the State to ensure the safety of motorists through the imposition of an allowable number of riders in a motorcycle with respect to the nature of the motorcycle as a vehicle, its operation and the circumstances of riding peculiar to it correlative to the risk of accidents and crashes occurring involving it," Acop said.

Under the measure, it is prohibited for any person riding a motorcycle to take a child below nine years of age as a co-rider. Stiffer penalties shall be imposed on would be violators.

The bill mandates the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) with the Land Transportation Office to promulgate the pertinent rules and regulations for the effective implementation of the proposed act.