TOKYO -- The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan is calling for caution regarding "balance bikes," two-wheeled toys that young children can ride on and move around by pushing along the ground instead of using pedals, reporting a total of 101 accidents involving these bikes from April 2019 to December 2024.

Balance bikes typically lack brakes, and there have been numerous incidents where children lost control and fell or collided with obstacles when they gained speed on slopes.

Of the 101 accidents that were reported March 19, at least 50 occurred on slopes. By age group, roughly 70%, or 72 cases, involved children aged 3 and 4. Facial and head injuries were the most common.

In 2024, there were multiple fatal accidents involving the bikes. In April, a 3-year-old girl in Hokkaido was struck by a van, and in August, a 2-year-old boy in Hyogo Prefecture was hit by a small passenger car.

In an experiment conducted by the consumer affairs center simulating a 3-year-old child riding a balance bike down a 10-degree slope (approximately 1.7 meters in height and 10 meters in length), the bike reached a speed of 16 kilometers per hour, comparable to the 10-20 km/h speeds common for standard bicycles.

The center is urging parents and guardians to follow proper usage guidelines, such as avoiding the use of balance bikes on slopes, ensuring that the child's heels can firmly touch the ground and requiring children to wear helmets for safety.

(Japanese original by Yurika Tarumi, Lifestyle, Science & Environment News Department)