Quad Bikes, Children and the Law?

scullster

Had a quick look on the internet but none the wiser? Spoke to local police and still none the wiser...

• Are there any restrictions (age or otherwise) re: the riding of a motorised quad bike on council owned land such as a park or green area?
• Can a quad bike be legally used on the footpath (police didn't seem to think it was there concern - more a council matter)?

I'm not sure about the first point, but I remember getting a ticking off by the plod when I was about 10 and riding my pushbike on the footpath!

Thanks

Gloomendoom

If you ride or drive a motorised vehicle anywhere the public has unrestricted access, then you need to meet the requirements of the Road Traffic Act. Riders/drivers need to hold valid driving licences and the vehicles need to be registered, taxed, MOT'd and insured.

The only place children can legally ride a quad is on private land that is closed off to the public.

Have a look at this police poster Linky. It's Scottish, but the same restrictions apply in England and Wales.
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JQ.

I would imagine it's illegal to drive one anywhere other than your own personal land no matter what your age. If it's a road legal quad and it's T&T'd you could have it on the road, if you have a licence.

JQ.

Should have mentioned that Manchester City Council have been confiscating and crushing off-road bikes and quads that get ridden on their land over the past few years.

scullster

JQ / Gloom,

Those were the common sense answers I was expecting - the lady at the of the phone for the local police station was unhelpful. She thought its use on the land would be a matter for the council - not a police matter, and openly admitted that she wasn't sure re: footpaths.

Any more views gratefully appreciated.....

Rolandtheroadie

Gloomendoom wrote: »

If you ride or drive a motorised vehicle anywhere the public has unrestricted access, then you need to meet the requirements of the Road Traffic Act. Riders/drivers need to hold valid driving licences and the vehicles need to be registered, taxed, MOT'd and insured.

The only place children can legally ride a quad is on private land that is closed off to the public.

The local paper had a report a few years back about a guy (who I know) was reported to the procurator fiscal for being on a trail bike on forestry comission ground. The charge was no insurance for the bike.
The police officers involved even went to the extent of digging up a street name from the records. (my grandparents were born on the street around 1910 when it was an Iron Works).
It is now nothing more than a grass track.
When it got to court, he supplied pictures and the case was thrown out, the officers criticised for wasting the courts time.

scullster

To cut a story v. short, the quad in question was being ridden by a approx. 9y old on what I believe to be a council owned public space used by children predominantly of school age.

Mankysteve

scotsman4th wrote: »

the officers criticised for wasting the courts time.

Why its the CPS who thought there was valid case to take to court. bit daft to try and blame the police.

On a footpath then it is a police issue, I suspect a public park is the same.

Rolandtheroadie

Mankysteve wrote: »

Why its the CPS who thought there was valid case to take to court. bit daft to try and blame the police.

On a footpath then it is a police issue, I suspect a public park is the same.

It was the police who presented the evidence to the PF. So he's acting on the information supplied by them (street name, no insurance etc).
The PF thought he had a case.

babyshoes

OP, yes, that sounds illegal, if the public have access to that land. Whether the police choose to do anything about it or not is another matter - unless it becomes a serious issue and they get lots of complaints or someone gets hurt, they will probably ignore it as they have bigger fish to fry...

I thought at first you were wanting to get a quad bike for your child! They are so much more dangerous than people think, though good fun if properly controlled. It would actually be safer to get a kid a small motorbike or offroad buggy if you had somewhere private to ride/drive. Quad bikes are heavier than motorbikes and not that much more stable at speed. Kids are also prone to running over their own feet when they put a foot down while stopped and don't get it up again in time... I have heard some real horror stories!

hethmar

The point to make with the police is the kids must have driven on public roads to get to private/council land anyway.