Dangerous "toys": why children end up driving and getting into accidents

A 13-year-old teenager who lost control of a buggy knocked down people standing at a bus stop in the Moscow region. Accidents involving underage drivers have become noticeably more frequent — this is confirmed by accident statistics. Izvestia found out why the number of such incidents is growing and how to change this trend.

"Skidded by itself"

In Tuchkovo, near Moscow, a 13-year-old teenager lost control of a buggy and crashed into people waiting for a bus at a bus stop. According to the minor, the vehicle "skidded by itself" on the turn. According to the prosecutor's office of the Moscow region, two women aged 19 and 64 were injured in an accident. According to the Ministry of Health of the Moscow region, one of the victims is in serious condition, the second is in a moderate state of standing. The GSU of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Moscow region has opened a criminal case under paragraph "b" of Part 2 of Article 264 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

"The investigation established that on the evening of November 11, 2025, a 13-year-old teenager, driving a buggy on a section of the highway in the Ruza municipal district, without having the right to drive a vehicle, hit the platform of a bus station where there were two women born in 1960 and 2006. The investigator examined the scene of the incident, the vehicle was seized and placed in a specialized parking lot," the Investigative Committee also reported.

Such a crime is punishable by forced labor for up to five years or imprisonment for a term of three to seven years, said Sergei Radko, a lawyer for the Freedom of Choice movement. However, in this particular case, the criminal case will be closed, since the teenager who committed the accident has not reached the age from which criminal responsibility begins, he stressed.

— According to the current legislation, only a person who has reached the age of 16 can be held criminally liable. The exceptions are some serious and especially serious crimes, the responsibility for which begins at the age of 14. The young reckless driver is also not in danger of "administrative detention" — here, too, the age of responsibility begins only at the age of 16, — said Sergey Radko.

The maximum that threatens a teenager who has committed an accident in Tuchkovo is registration with the juvenile affairs commission and closer attention to him in the future from law enforcement agencies, the lawyer noted. His parents may be held administratively liable under Article 5.35 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation, "Failure by parents or other legal representatives of minors to fulfill their responsibilities for the maintenance and upbringing of minors," the lawyer added. However, the sanction provided for this in the form of a warning or a fine in the amount of 500-2000 rubles "only causes a smile," Sergei Radko believes.

— Theoretically, we can talk about Part 3 of Article 12.7 of the Administrative Code "Transfer of control of a vehicle to a person who obviously does not have the right to drive a vehicle." A fine of 30 thousand rubles is provided for this. But this is possible only if it is proved that the parents themselves bought the buggy for the child and allowed him to ride it," he stressed.

At the same time, the teenager's parents will be required to compensate the victims for the damage caused to their health as a result of an accident — on a voluntary basis or as part of a civil procedure if the women file a lawsuit in court, the lawyer noted.

Frightening numbers

Accidents involving underage drivers occur almost every day. According to an analytical review compiled by the Scientific Center for Road Safety The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, in the first nine months of this year, 2,535 such car accidents occurred on Russian roads, in which 68 children and teenagers died and 2.5 thousand were injured. Compared to the same period last year, the number of such incidents increased by 10.2%, and the number of children killed in them increased by 15.3%.

In most cases (77.6%), minors drove motor vehicles, and 659 accidents involved pit bikes, which are considered sports equipment and which are strictly prohibited from entering public roads. 23 children were killed and 753 injured in such accidents. In 98 accidents that have occurred since the beginning of the year in which minors were driving ATVs: five minors were victims of such accidents, 117 children and teenagers were injured.

The vast majority of accidents involving underage drivers occur due to connivance and irresponsible, and sometimes criminal behavior of adults, according to the State Traffic Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

— Management of any type of transport is allowed only by persons who have reached a certain age and only after they have been trained in a driving school or motorcycle school, they have acquired the necessary knowledge of traffic regulations and equipment management skills, successfully passed exams and issued a driver's license of the appropriate category. We draw the attention of parents to the inadmissibility of conducting independent classes with children on driving cars and motor vehicles - such actions are a serious violation of traffic regulations, for which administrative responsibility is provided. We also remind parents of the need to constantly monitor their children's leisure time and stop attempts to drive their cars and motorcycles independently. Keys and documents from vehicles should be kept in places inaccessible to children and teenagers in order to avoid possible tragedies on the road," said Police Colonel Anton Belan, Deputy head of the Department for Road Safety Promotion and Prevention of Child Traffic Injuries at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

He noted that the State Traffic Inspectorate constantly conducts work with children, teenagers and their parents aimed at preventing minors from driving vehicles. As part of parent-teacher conferences and other preventive measures, car inspectors regularly tell and show by illustrative examples the tragic consequences of trips by young "drivers."

Technology is not a toy!

Igor Morzharetto, a member of the Presidium of the Public Council at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is convinced that the main reason for the significant number of accidents involving child drivers, especially on motorcycles, is related to the frivolous attitude of parents towards it, as well as its accessibility.

— Many people believe that a moped or pit bike is the same bike, only with a motor, and treat them like an expensive toy that can be given to a child for a birthday or for good grades in a diary. Their accessibility also adds confidence to this — they cost a little more than a good bike when conceived. But this is a very dangerous misconception: a moped or pit bike is much heavier than a bicycle and develops much higher speed. It is no coincidence that a separate category of "M" rights is needed to drive mopeds. And pitbikes are generally allowed to ride only on closed tracks. However, a lot of people forget about it," he told Izvestia.

Another common misconception is related to four—wheeled vehicles - buggies and ATVs, explained Roman Sitnikov, a motorcycle expert, instructor, graduate of the European ATV Safety Institute Safety Center. According to him, many people believe that riding on such equipment does not require any special skills and abilities, since it is more stable than motorcycles.

— Indeed, driving a buggy or ATV is more like riding a car than a motorcycle. However, this does not mean that you do not need to learn from them — there are certain nuances and features that can only be obtained under the supervision of instructors at a motorcycle school," he stressed.

The situation can be rectified only by a comprehensive rethinking of the attitude towards all types of machinery and transport as sources of increased danger, says Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of Za Rulem magazine. A car, motorcycle, or ATV poses no less, but an incipient and greater threat than a firearm.

— None of the parents would think of leaving a loaded gun in a prominent place in the house — the rules for storing weapons are strictly regulated, and serious sanctions are provided for their violations. Probably, something similar needs to be done regarding keys and transport documents. And if it turns out that the child decided to ride in his dad's car because the keys to it were "lying on the shelf," it's worth fining for such forgetfulness, Maxim Kadakov believes.

Pit bike restrictions

As reported by Izvestia, in the middle of summer, the leader of the Fair Russia — For Truth faction, Sergei Mironov, sent a letter to the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mishustin, with a proposal to introduce a ban on the operation of pit bikes on public roads and provide for a separate punishment for handing pit bikes to children. The deputy also suggested that the Federal Customs Service assess the legality of importing motorcycles according to HS codes related to sports equipment, assess the volume of such imports, including over the past years, and add an unpaid recycling fee.

— I received positive responses to my appeal from several departments at once. I hope that the necessary standards and norms will be developed quickly. And pit bikes for children will be banned," Sergei Mironov said in his Telegram channel in mid-October.