Virginia already has laws that pertain to child vehicle safety. However, lawmakers, police officers and other concerned parties worry about children who are allowed to ride on the back of motorcycles. Currently there is no law against allowing children to ride along with their parents, yet children under eight are required by law to be in an approved child car seat or booster seat.
One lawmaker wanted to close this loophole, making it illegal for young children to ride along with their parents. Between 2005 and 2009 one child under the age of nine died and 23 others were injured during a motorcycle accident. Police are concerned that the dramatic increase of motorcycle use in Virginia has caused many parents to use a motorcycle to transport their children.
However, opponents of the bill believe that the near lack of serious injuries and deaths of children on motorcycles shows that the law is unnecessary. In addition, they point parental judgment and individual rights as reason enough to kill the bill.
It now seems that opponents of the ban will have their wish. The bill was recently tabled by a subcommittee and is not likely to advance any further.