Dangerous miniature motorbikes, known as ‘monkey bikes’, were crushed and destroyed today as part of a Consumer Affairs blitz on unsafe products being sold in Victoria.
Minister for Consumer Affairs Jane Garrett said the bikes were seized because they did not meet Australian safety standards due to dodgy breaks and faulty steering.
Over the past seven months, Consumer Affairs Victoria has removed almost 200 miniature motorbikes from sale as part of a crackdown on dangerous products being sold across the state. Three suppliers are now under active investigation.
Other seized products included unsafe car jacks, trolley jacks and vehicle support stands.
Miniature motorbikes can cause serious injury and death. There were 59 reported cases of injuries involving miniature motorbikes from July 2012 to June 2015 according to data from Monash University’s Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit.
The majority of the monkey motorbike injuries occurred to children aged five to nine (31 per cent) and 10-14 years (19 per cent). A quarter of these cases required a hospital stay.
Data also showed 259 cases of people reporting injuries relating to car jacks.
Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) conducts about 750 product safety inspections each year to remove dangerous or dodgy items from Victorian shelves.
Traders who sell unsafe products can face fines of up to $1.1 million for a body corporate and $220,000 for individuals.
If they meet all Australian safety standards, monkey bikes can be legally used on private property for recreational activities. However, it is against the law to use them on public roads and Victorians should report illegal use to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Consumer Affairs Jane Garrett
“Monkey bikes can be extremely dangerous. We are making sure unsafe and dodgy bikes are crushed as part of our state-wide blitz.”
“Traders need to make sure their products meet Australian safety standards or they will face hefty fines.”
“We’re also reminding Victorians that it’s against the law to ride these bikes in public areas, even if they comply with safety standards.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020