Road Risks Created By Child Cyclists

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28532, 11 March 1958, Page 14

Road Risks Created By Child Cyclists

It was only the alertness of some motorists that averted what could be serious accidents, said Traffic Officer A. H. Bissett in his annual report to the City Council last evening. Traffic Officer Bissett, who is schools inspector and publicity officer of the council's traffic department, was commenting on the risks of children riding chain-drive tricycles and on his observation that some children on bicycles were far too young to be on the roads by themselves.

It was not easy to say at what age a child should be allowed on the roads, he said. Some children of 12 or 13 have no road sense at all, while younger ones had. "The onus is definitely on the parent," Traffic Officer Bissett said. “I would suggest that before they allow the child on the roads they go out with the child and ride alongside him and then behind to see if he is conversant with the road rules and signals.” The roadworthiness of cycles had improved out of sight, he said. Of the 18,141 cycles he inspected, 13,702 had passed, 3952 required attention and 787 were unsafe. Chain Tricycles

Chain tricycles were, on the whole, in very poor condition, he continued. Their worst feature was the brake. They were treewheel, with one brake working on the front wheel. There were far too many without an efficient brake, or worse, without brakes at all. When told about the condition of the tricycles, most parents had been amazed, and had wasted little time in having them, fixed, but some had required “a little

encouragement,” Traffic Officer Bissett said. “I am amazed at some parens- t allowing their small ones to ride their tricycles to kindergarten,” he said. “It is obvious that they do not realise the risk the child has to take every time he crosses the road.” Of school patrols, Traffic Officer Bissett said that schools which • had had standards five and sue . taken from them were doing an efficient job with patrols from standard four children. But at one school, he had had to ask the headmaster to relieve the boys, replacing them with girls. He found that the boys were "acting the fool.” Generally, he nad found that girls were far more conscientious.