New results from a nationwide family survey reveal that only 23.6 percent of parents give their child’s bike an annual safety check.
Children’s bike specialist, Frog Bikes, had voxpop.co.uk undertake the survey on 2,000 parents in the UK. It found the majority (60.6 percent) of respondents preferred to carry out their own repairs at home. What’s more surprising is that 15.8 percent of parents admitted to never having their child’s bike examined by a licensed expert.
The law doesn't require parents to have their children’s bikes regularly checked and so whether a child's bike is examined by a qualified mechanic is up to each parent to decide.
Frog Bikes' technical manager Stephen Johnson explained: “Just like an adult's bike, a child’s bike is not just a toy and needs to be inspected and serviced by a qualified mechanic at least once a year. All the moving parts, such as cables, bearings, brake pads, chain and tyres, will start to wear over a period of time, and if not attended to could become unsafe and, in extreme cases, dangerous to ride.”
A quick search on the internet shows that safety testing can be carried out from as little as £15 depending on your local bike shop. It should cover everything from checking tyres to inspecting brake effectiveness, and written up in a report.
While a large number of parents admitted to failing to give their children's bike a yearly check, a greater number – 82 percent – said they wanted their children to complete a cycle training test before taking to the road.
Frog Bikes is a small British company that manufactures a range of 'super-lightweight' aluminium children’s’ bikes.