Beware of accidents involving children riding as passengers at the backs of bicycles! - Some have even gotten a broken femur from hitting an obstacle -

Demand for bicycles that infants can ride on as passengers is expected to remain high due to things like going to and from nursery school, and especially in cities, they are an increasingly indispensable means of transportation (since so many urban places like that restrict coming by car). On the other hand, infants are also having accidents while riding as passengers on bicycles, and the Consumer Safety Investigation Commission has reported the results of an investigation into accidents like these involving electrically assisted bicycles.

In the five years since FY 2019, the Medical Facilities Network has seen 207 cases of accidents where a child was riding as a passenger at the back of a bicycle. Many of these occurred because while sitting in a child seat at the back of the bicycle, the child stuck out a limb, etc. and it hit an obstacle. Several of them even resulted in broken femurs and other serious injuries.

So, based on the accident information received by the Medical Facilities Network and other data, we decided to compile some information about accidents involving children riding as passengers at the backs of bicycles, and alert consumers to the dangers.

Video [YouTube]

[Infants are getting broken bones while riding as passengers on bicycles]
The child at the back can't see in front, and the rider can't see the child behind them!

Accident information received by the Medical Facilities Network

Examples where the child's thigh or lower leg hit an obstacle when sticking out

While a parent was riding an electrically assisted bicycle with their child in the child seat at the back, the child's right foot got injured on a guardrail.
While a parent was riding an electrically assisted bicycle with their child in the child seat at the back, as they were going slowly between some poles that were there to stop cars, the child's right thigh hit one of them, injuring the hip joint by forcing the child to do the splits.

Example where the child's head hit an obstacle when sticking out

While a parent was riding a bicycle with their child in the child seat at the back, they swerved to avoid an electricity pole, throwing their child's head to one side so that it hit the pole.

Example of spoke-related injuries

When a parent was riding a bicycle with their child sitting on the luggage rack at the back, the child's left foot got caught up in the spokes. They were not using a child seat, and the child was wearing sandals.

Test results

Recreating accidents caused by sticking limbs, etc. out

If the child stuck a foot out while the bicycle was traveling along, the part of them sticking out from the child seat sometimes hit an electricity pole or signpost.
We found that it was difficult for a child sitting in a child seat at the back see obstacles up ahead.
If the child's head was sticking out from the child seat, it sometimes hit an obstacle.

Recreating accidents along narrow paths

When a bicycle went down a narrow path with a child sitting in a child seat at the back, the child's lower legs sometimes hit an obstacle.

Recreating spoke-related injuries

If a child was sat on a luggage rack instead of using a child seat, their feet sometimes got violently caught up in the wheel.

Advice for consumers

When sitting in a child seat at the back of a bicycle, a child can hardly see in front at all. Make sure the child wears a seatbelt and helmet properly, and tell them not to stick their limbs, etc. out.
When going down a narrow path, get off the bicycle and push so that the child will not hit any obstacles.
When riding a bicycle with a child as a passenger, make sure you use a child seat if it is suitable for their age and height. Also, never sit a child on a luggage rack, and never have a child of elementary school age or above riding with you as a passenger.

Request to the government

In order to prevent accidents involving children in child seats at the backs of bicycles, please alert consumers to the dangers, and show them how to avoid them.

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