Question: Can you please tell me what the law is for kids riding as passengers on motorcycles? On Sept. 1, around noon, a father on a motorcycle, with a little girl holding on behind him, was driving toward Hawaii Kai on Kalanianaole Highway. The little girl looked like she was less than 10 years old, was wearing a helmet and biker long sleeves, and was even holding on to special handles on the belt her father was wearing. It still looked very dangerous. Is this legal?
Answer: Yes, unless the child was much younger than she looked.
Hawaii law allows motorcycle passengers as young as 7 years old, as long as the child is wearing an approved safety helmet fastened with a chin strap; helmets are required for any motorcycle operator or passenger under 18.
Both operators and passengers must wear glasses, goggles or a face shield (which can be part of the helmet) unless their motorcycle has a windshield.
The motorcycle operator must not carry more passengers than the motorcycle is designed and equipped to carry; this rule applies to passengers of any age. And the motorcycle must have footrests for all riders not in a sidecar or enclosed cab.
You can read more about the rules in the state Department of Transportation’s Motorcycle Operator Manual, at 808ne.ws/mtrman
Only experienced riders should attempt to carry passengers, the manual says, because the extra weight will affect how a motorcycle handles. Operators should ride a little slower when carrying passengers, especially when taking curves, corners or bumps, it says.
Children should be placed immediately behind the motorcycle operator, able to reach the passenger footrests and to hold on to the operator’s waist, hips, belt or the motorcycle’s passenger handholds. A child sitting in front of the rider would not be able to balance properly and could interfere with control of the motorcycle, the manual says.
Passengers of any age should be attired properly, wearing at least the same level of protective gear as the operator, it says.
Based on your description, it seems the father-daughter duo you saw met the legal requirements and safety recommendations.
Q: Can you have a passenger on a moped?
A: No, not legally. The rules are different for mopeds and motorcycles.
Q: I think my daughter is just trying to get me to stop driving, but she said there is a thing where guys come up to you on the road and start taking off your tires. Can that be true?
A: The Honolulu Police Department did report a scam last month that sounds similar to your daughter’s warning.
HPD’s public announcement on Aug. 10 (808ne.ws/hpdsty) said that elderly drivers had been targeted in Windward Oahu and the Aiea area.
The victims reported that upon coming to a stop, they were approached by two males who claimed to have spotted something wrong with the vehicles that they could fix immediately. The males then began the purported repairs, sometimes removing the car’s tires in the process. Then they demanded to be paid, which at least one victim did, according to HPD’s notice.
In one incident, after being paid, the males later showed up at the victim’s home, saying they were following up on the work.
The police urged the elderly and others not to talk to strangers who solicit unwanted services.
Anyone who has been a victim of this scam, or who has information about the incidents, may report it to Honolulu CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cellular phone.
Mahalo
My student driver and I thank the patient drivers who make room at the H1 eastbound entrance near the Hawaiian Humane Society. That on-ramp can be nerve-wracking for beginning drivers. — Appreciative mom
Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
