Parents issue warning as son, 13, dies on mini-motorbike
Road safety campaigners warned yesterday of the dangers of mini-motorbikes after a Scottish schoolboy became the latest child to die while riding one illegally.
Wayne Shaw was killed when he drove into the path of an oncoming car just around the corner from his home in Sauchie, near Alloa.
The 13-year-old motocross fanatic had only had the 110cc Yamaha mini-
motocross machine for a few weeks when he went out on it without telling his parents.
He crashed into an oncoming Vauxhall Astra after taking his eye off the road to wave to some friends.
His parents rushed to the scene but he died in his father's arms after suffering serious head injuries.
Father Frank, 41, who cradled his son as he stopped breathing, said: "When I got there he was unconscious. When he stopped breathing, it felt like someone had ripped my heart out. The
paramedics and hospital staff did their best to revive him but the doctors told us he would have died instantly when his head hit the car."
He added: "I would always tell him to make sure to put on his crash helmet and to make sure he put safety first if he was going to ride his bike. But he had sneaked out on it without telling us."
Wayne's mother, June, 44, said: "We are all absolutely devastated. I have never felt as bad as this before in my life. It is horrible to lose a son. I have not been able to stop crying since it happened.
"He was a really popular boy. Everyone knew and liked him. He was the youngest of our four kids and he was the baby of the family. We'd give anything to have him back."
Earlier this year it was reported that six-year-old Kane Small died while riding a friend's "mini-moto" near Birmingham.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents yesterday urged parents to think carefully before buying one of the bikes for their child.
Spokeswoman Jo Stagg said: "Our advice to parents who are thinking of getting a mini-motorbike for their children is to make sure that they have somewhere safe to ride it. It is illegal to ride them on public roads, and you can only ride them on private land with the landowner's permission."
She added that, if used properly and ridden at
dedicated tracks, they were perfectly safe.
However, Mr Shaw said that he had had to take his son to a local quarry because there were no such facilities in their area: "If there was a proper track the kids would not be riding in the street."
Football shirts, flags and dozens of floral tributes were left at the scene over the weekend by family and friends after the crash on Friday afternoon.
Police have appealed for witnesses to the accident, which took place at 5.20pm at the junction of Gartmorn Road and Keilars Brae.
The 60-year-old driver of the car was uninjured.
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Posted by: Samoyed, Costa del Menie on 4:41am Mon 7 Jul 08
My dad taught me how to shot when I was 8. He did not trust me with the keys to the armory safe till I was 16. Is there much difference between shot-guns and hand-guns and a 110cc motorcycle in the hands of a kid? Man! I'm truly sorry, but you were a fool Mr. Shaw and it has cost you dearly. Hopefully some parents will learn from this.
My dad taught me how to shot when I was 8. He did not trust me with the keys to the armory safe till I was 16. Is there much difference between shot-guns and hand-guns and a 110cc motorcycle in the hands of a kid? Man! I'm truly sorry, but you were a fool Mr. Shaw and it has cost you dearly. Hopefully some parents will learn from this.
Posted by: daz, glasgow on 8:37am Mon 7 Jul 08
errr....Samoyed i don't think parents will learn from this.
Parents will read this article and think thats it's always other peoples children, but in reality......
errr....Samoyed i don't think parents will learn from this.
Parents will read this article and think thats it's always other peoples children, but in reality......
Posted by: Carnwarth on 8:50am Mon 7 Jul 08
A horrific experience for the driver of the car, the boy and his parents but -
[quote]He added: "I would always tell him to make sure to put on his crash helmet and to make sure he put safety first if he was going to ride his bike. But he had sneaked out on it without telling us."[/quote]
ie it is not my fault
[quote]However, Mr Shaw said that he had had to take his son to a local quarry because there were no such facilities in their area: "If there was a proper track the kids would not be riding in the street."[/quote]
ie it is not my fault
- nowhere is there anything to justify the headline "Parents issue warning...".
A horrific experience for the driver of the car, the boy and his parents but -
He added: "I would always tell him to make sure to put on his crash helmet and to make sure he put safety first if he was going to ride his bike. But he had sneaked out on it without telling us."
ie it is not my fault
However, Mr Shaw said that he had had to take his son to a local quarry because there were no such facilities in their area: "If there was a proper track the kids would not be riding in the street."
ie it is not my fault
- nowhere is there anything to justify the headline "Parents issue warning...".
Posted by: John Hampson, Kilmarnock on 8:53am Mon 7 Jul 08
Parents need to think long and hard before giving one of these vehicles to a young child. On a recent visit to a public park here in Kilmarnock I saw two small boys taking turns on one of these quad bikes niether had a hemet on.One little chap on his turn seemed to loose control and headed streight for a large rhododendron bush at a high speed and crashed streight through it. I dead to think what would have been the result if he had hit the large tree just six feet away.As it was he crawled out with nothing more than a lot scratches and a slightly damaged quad bike.
Parents need to think long and hard before giving one of these vehicles to a young child. On a recent visit to a public park here in Kilmarnock I saw two small boys taking turns on one of these quad bikes niether had a hemet on.One little chap on his turn seemed to loose control and headed streight for a large rhododendron bush at a high speed and crashed streight through it. I dead to think what would have been the result if he had hit the large tree just six feet away.As it was he crawled out with nothing more than a lot scratches and a slightly damaged quad bike.
Posted by: BM, Glasgow on 9:00am Mon 7 Jul 08
Motorbikes are not toy, so those who buy them for children then let them use them unsupervised should be held responsible. Boys will be boys, and go onto public roads given the opportunity, but the parents in this case should not have let him out without supervision. How did they imagine he was going to get to the quarry (where it was probably equally illegal to use the bike)? Anyone letting his 13 year old son drive a car on a public road would be prosecuted, so what's the difference here, except that a motorbike is far more dangerous?
As Daz says above, unfortunately some people will never learn, since these accidents always happen to other peoples children, like the young girl killed around Christmas while being not only allowed but encouraged by parents to ride her quad bike on a public road. Only when their own child is killed do they realise too late how irresponsible they have been.
Motorbikes are not toy, so those who buy them for children then let them use them unsupervised should be held responsible. Boys will be boys, and go onto public roads given the opportunity, but the parents in this case should not have let him out without supervision. How did they imagine he was going to get to the quarry (where it was probably equally illegal to use the bike)? Anyone letting his 13 year old son drive a car on a public road would be prosecuted, so what's the difference here, except that a motorbike is far more dangerous?
As Daz says above, unfortunately some people will never learn, since these accidents always happen to other peoples children, like the young girl killed around Christmas while being not only allowed but encouraged by parents to ride her quad bike on a public road. Only when their own child is killed do they realise too late how irresponsible they have been.
Posted by: mulross, Glasgow on 10:39am Mon 7 Jul 08
[quote]However, Mr Shaw said that he had had to take his son to a local quarry because there were no such facilities in their area: "If there was a proper track the kids would not be riding in the street.[/quote]
So why did did he buy his son a mini-motorbike when there "are no facilities in the area"? Unless there are faciliies in every street then the child [bold]still[/bold] has to get the mortorbike from home to the track. These mini -motorbikes should not be on sale to [bold]anyone[/bold] without proof that they have access to private land on their doorstep.
This is a tragedy for the wee boy and his family, and my heart also goes out to the innocent driver who will have been traumatised by the accident. However, the parents are entirely responsible - nobody else.
However, Mr Shaw said that he had had to take his son to a local quarry because there were no such facilities in their area: "If there was a proper track the kids would not be riding in the street.
So why did did he buy his son a mini-motorbike when there "are no facilities in the area"? Unless there are faciliies in every street then the child
still has to get the mortorbike from home to the track. These mini -motorbikes should not be on sale to
anyone without proof that they have access to private land on their doorstep.
This is a tragedy for the wee boy and his family, and my heart also goes out to the innocent driver who will have been traumatised by the accident. However, the parents are entirely responsible - nobody else.
Posted by: Gareth Wardell, EdinburghNewTown on 12:25pm Mon 7 Jul 08
Samoyed
Its a heartbreaking story.
My parents let me have an air pistol as a child with no supervision so I of course shot out loads of local windows on a building site and a derelict factory (which doubled as playgrounds in those days) and was only relieved of it when I put a pellet between the eyes of a neighbouring child at 50 yards.
Without parental guidance children are pretty much savages, I know I was.
As for a motorcycle, after seeing the injuries kids get from a BMX why would you want to strap an engine to them?
Samoyed
Its a heartbreaking story.
My parents let me have an air pistol as a child with no supervision so I of course shot out loads of local windows on a building site and a derelict factory (which doubled as playgrounds in those days) and was only relieved of it when I put a pellet between the eyes of a neighbouring child at 50 yards.
Without parental guidance children are pretty much savages, I know I was.
As for a motorcycle, after seeing the injuries kids get from a BMX why would you want to strap an engine to them?
Posted by: sam, greenock on 7:02pm Mon 7 Jul 08
[quote] "If there was a proper track the kids would not be riding in the street."[/quote]
Oh thats OK then is it, no track available, someone elses fault, so they ride about the streets. What an atitude!
"If there was a proper track the kids would not be riding in the street."
Oh thats OK then is it, no track available, someone elses fault, so they ride about the streets. What an atitude!
Posted by: xxdebz88xx, sauchie on 10:55pm Mon 7 Jul 08
sorry tae be such a bore right but i did actually ken the wee boy and his family and the area... the wee boy loved his bikes so his dad took the bikes in the back of the van he had bought for this and took him to riding tracks.. and as for blaming the parents.. this isnt their fault.. they taught him all about bike safety and the rest.. he had all the gear and the helmets.. this is what he meant by he snuck it out of his bike shed... youse have no idea.. just think if it was someone in your family or someone you knew well.. how would yous feel about these comments use leave?????
sorry tae be such a bore right but i did actually ken the wee boy and his family and the area... the wee boy loved his bikes so his dad took the bikes in the back of the van he had bought for this and took him to riding tracks.. and as for blaming the parents.. this isnt their fault.. they taught him all about bike safety and the rest.. he had all the gear and the helmets.. this is what he meant by he snuck it out of his bike shed... youse have no idea.. just think if it was someone in your family or someone you knew well.. how would yous feel about these comments use leave?????
Posted by: tasha29, ballingry on 1:07pm Sat 12 Jul 08
the full story has not been put across properly mr shaw did take his son to quarry to ride his mini moto and he took it to quarry in back of his van the van was in process of getting painted so he had told wayne he was going to get van finished then they would go but wayne being a normal teenager thought al go and get what we need to finish van on the bike and al get to quarry quicker so sneaked out on bike and was on way back with the paint when the accident happened so please keep comments to yourself if you do not know the facts as my aunty and uncle are not to blame it was an unfortunate accident how would you feel right now if it was your son
the full story has not been put across properly mr shaw did take his son to quarry to ride his mini moto and he took it to quarry in back of his van the van was in process of getting painted so he had told wayne he was going to get van finished then they would go but wayne being a normal teenager thought al go and get what we need to finish van on the bike and al get to quarry quicker so sneaked out on bike and was on way back with the paint when the accident happened so please keep comments to yourself if you do not know the facts as my aunty and uncle are not to blame it was an unfortunate accident how would you feel right now if it was your son
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