5 year old child Rider - Do we really need a plate on the bike

[Fenel854]

Hello,

I'm about to put my 5 year old onto a PW50 and I want to know if I even need to plate the bike. Is law enforcement even able to write a 5 year old a ticket? Do they have a right to stop a kid from entering the trail system? We will plate and insure the bike if we have to but I'd rather skip this ridiculous expense. Any input is appreciated.

[Dobi]

Hello,

I'm about to put my 5 year old onto a PW50 and I want to know if I even need to plate the bike. Is law enforcement even able to write a 5 year old a ticket? Do they have a right to stop a kid from entering the trail system? We will plate and insure the bike if we have to but I'd rather skip this ridiculous expense. Any input is appreciated.

It is a legal requirement.... I have them on my kids bikes. The biggest obstacle is insurance. There is a thread on here about good agents that insure kids bikes.

[RJHenry]

And, on the heels of many requests from the riding community (including us) AEP has added a bigger crew of enforcement this year. Registration and insurance is a key item. And the insurance also covers the rider in the event (god forbid) of mishap.

[Jonny5]

Hello,

Is law enforcement even able to write a 5 year old a ticket?

I have seen it happen.

[thirtyseven]

The law only applies to 50cc and up. The pw50 is 49cc.

[yamit85]

I was in the same position with my kid on his PW. I ended up getting the bike registered and the insurance from state farm (about$70 at the time). I found if you have the papers, they usually overlook the lack of lights on the PW and you spend 5 minutes chatting instead of an hour arguing the finer points of the law.
Funny thing is, I seem to remember reading something along the line that the PW was withdrawn from the market in the US, specifically California because it was classified as a childs toy and had too high a total lead content. Where the lead would be I'm not sure as it does not have a battery

[cedric]

The law only applies to 50cc and up. The pw50 is 49cc.

I don't think so 37. I wish you were correct but I dug up the Traffic Act and found this definition:

Part 6
Off-highway Vehicles
Definitions
117 In this Part,
(a) “off-highway vehicle” means any motorized mode of
transportation built for cross-country travel on land, water,
snow, ice or marsh or swamp land or on other natural
terrain and, without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, includes, when specifically designed for such
travel,
(i) 4-wheel drive vehicles,
(ii) low pressure tire vehicles,
(iii) motorcycles and related 2-wheel vehicles,
(iv) amphibious machines,
(v) all terrain vehicles,
(vi) miniature motor vehicles,
(vii) snow vehicles,
(viii) minibikes, and
(ix) any other means of transportation that is propelled by
any power other than muscular power or wind,
but does not include
(x) motor boats, or
(xi) any other vehicle exempted from being an offhighway
vehicle by regulation;
(b) “vehicle” means a device in, on or by which a person or
thing may be transported or drawn and includes a
combination of vehicles but does not include a mobility
aid.

[vwrally]

Looks like the traffic safety act may have changed, pretty sure there used to be a specific clause that exempted <50cc vehicles, but not anymore.

Anyone interested can also look Alberta regulation 319/2012 (Off-highway vehicle regulation), for all the specific legal requirements for OHVs (lights,registration and insurance, restrictions, etc). 12(1)(b) made me LOL, I wonder what special group that exemption was written for.

All of these Acts are readily available to read from the Alberta Queens Printer online.

[thirtyseven]

Must have changed. Although I believe if you still tell the registration office you want a plate for a 49cc bike they won't give it to you....