KIDS IN SIDECARS?

I have two grandchildren, aged four and seven, and also own a Ural bike and sidecar. The children both love to ride in the sidecar and I’m lucky to have a long drive with turnings at both ends. I’ve lost count of the circuits I’ve completed with two very excited passengers.

So I wonder if I can take them on the public highway in the sidecar? The sidecar has no seat belts, no child seats, only a front seat and no rear. All are required to carry children in a car. Roy Palmer, member 5335 That’s a tricky question, Roy. I could find no specific mention of sidecar outfits on the relevant section of the Gov.UK website. However, I did find this exemption in the ‘When a child can travel without a car seat’ section: ‘In most cases, children under 3 must always be in a child car seat. A child aged 3 or older can travel in a back seat without a child car seat and without a seat belt if the vehicle doesn’t have one.’

That suggests that as your vehicle doesn’t have the equipment (seat belts or a child seat) fitted then it would legally be exempted. But it’s the kind of situation you really never want to test in court… or in an accident.

Thinking about the safety of a four year old, frolicking around in a sidecar, I do wonder how hard it would be to fit a safetyharness / seat belt, or adapt a child car seat to attach to the sidecar seat. That way you could travel on the open roads and know that you’re on the right side of the law… and have taken sensible measures to ensure the nippers’ well-being. RowenaH