Minibike Crash Kills Teenage Boy

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The growing popularity of "minibikes" or "pocket bikes" is leading to a rise in minibike related accidents. Minibikes are mistakenly seen as a "safer" alternative to full-size motorcycles or ATVs, but a Christmas Day accident resulting in the death of a Kendale Lakes teenager highlights the potential danger of these miniature motorcycles. Reaching speeds of up to 45 mph, these miniature motorcycles can pose serious accident threats similar to their full-size counterparts. However, mini-bikes like the one driven by 15-year old Antonio Pereira on Sunday are often driven by young, inexperienced drivers who don't have the same training, respect for traffic laws or judgment as the adult drivers of motorcycles. Minibikes are also harder to by seen by drivers of automobiles, another factor which contributes to their risk of deadly accidents.

Antonio and a younger passenger were both airlifted to Miami Children's Hospital, where the younger boy remains in critical condition. Neither boy was wearing a helmet when they ran into a parked pick-up truck which was parked on the path surrounding the Miami National Golf Club.

In Florida, minibikes are prohibited everywhere but on private property, but a drive through any middle-class suburban neighborhood on Christmas morning would likely reveal a few minibikes and mini-ATVs zipping around on subdivision streets. Although these bikes can be purchased for a few hundred dollars at the local Pep Boy's, these miniature motorcycles are not toys and do not make good Christmas gifts when they are not accompanied by formal training, parental oversight, and appropriate safety precautions. Says Florida Highway Patrol Spokesman Pat Santangelo:

You have to understand that these are very dangerous vehicles and it doesn't matter how old you are, even if you have a driver's license and are on one of these vehicles . . . the vehicles are not allowed on the highway.