How safe is v-brake system with handbrake and coaster brake for child going downhill? I have bought a Volare blaster 16” bike for my 5 year old son (due to arrive tomorrow), but am now a bit concerned whether I have chosen the best braking system for him. The blurb for the bike states it ‘has a safe aluminium V-brake system with both a handbrake and coaster brake.’ I don’t really know what that means now! From the photo, it looks like the front wheel has the handbrake, so I presume the back wheel is the coaster brake. He spent a long time on a balance bike with a handbrake and can sail down our steep hill on this no problem. His first pedal bike was a very heavy second hand bike with hand brakes that were too big for his hands, so he lost confidence on the hill and would wheel it down or drag his feet to slow. I was hoping this bike would be the solution but am now paranoid about him flying over the handlebars if he stops too suddenly. Can anyone explain to me how the braking system works on this model? How do you safely regulate your speed downhill on a bike like this?
Thank you very much!
This brake setup would probably be the safest for a five year old, which is why its so popular. It would be rare for a child of five to be able to brake hard enough and go over the bars with V brakes.
V brake front + Coaster brakes are common on children bikes because children generally do not have the hand strength to operate brakes properly, but you need two brakes and it helps them learn to use hand operated brakes  while still having one that is effective. Expensive hydraulic disk brakes would be effective, but too expensive to be practical on kids bikes, and risks over the bars and front wheel loss of traction type accidents far more than weaker brakes.
One big advantage of coaster brake is it is nearly impossible to go over the bars, yet possible to lock the rear wheel (need for new tires makes it expensive with some kids). To get the brake to work, you have to press back on the pedal, transferring weight to the rear. Any weight shift forward, needed for a over the bars,  release the brake.