Manila: The Philippines government may soon pass a law banning toddlers from riding as passengers in motorcycles. The move is an attempt to address the rising number of accidents involving young children.

Motorcycles are fast becoming the conveyance of the masses as two-wheeled vehicle makers scramble to sell their products and make them more affordable to Filipinos, both in urban and rural areas. In most cases, these cheap and easy to maintain vehicles are treated as the “family car”.

But while motorcycles provide people with improved mobility, there are cases that children not old enough to ride are taken by their parents with them.

Senator Vicente Sotto III said this should not be the case.

“Because of their tender age, especially infants, children’s reflexes are different from adults and they may not be able to react swiftly to some situations which can cause them to fall and suffer injury or even result in death,” he added.

Sotto cited a report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that showed that injuries from vehicular accidents account for the most accidents that occur on the roads.

The WHO study said that an estimated 3,500 people worldwide are killed daily due to vehicular accidents, 720 of whom are children.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said that motorcycle riders have the highest accident fatality rates among motor vehicle users.

Sotto, who is acting senate minority leaders, authored and sponsored Senate Bill 2488 or the proposed law on “Prohibition on Children Riding Motorcycles.”

Senate President Franklin Drilon said the measure would bolster government efforts in stopping deaths and grave injuries of children sustained from road accidents.

“Children who ride motorcycles are exposed to danger, particularly if they cannot reach the foot peg or embrace the adult riding with them fully for balance.”

“Because of their young age, especially infants, children’s reflexes are different from adults and they may not be able to react rightly to some situations which can cause them to fall and suffer injury or even result in death,” he added.

Currently children, without exception if they are very young, are allowed by authorities to ride with their parents or accompanying adults aboard the motorcycle as long as the adults have their helmets on.

The proposed ban on children from riding motorcycles however is not absolute under the proposed measure, Sotto said.

According to him, the restriction would not apply to remote areas of the country or in provinces where there was no considerable vehicular traffic.

“We have to take into account the plight of majority of our citizens who can only afford motorcycles as their mode of transportation,” Sotto said.