13-year-old boy dies in motorbike road crash

Published on Saturday 5 July 2008 19:54

A 13-YEAR-old boy has died after his mini-motorcycle collided with a car while he was riding on a public road.

The incident happened in daylight on Friday evening as Wayne Shaw was riding his bike along Gartmorn Road in his home village of Sauchie, Clackmannanshire.

The street was closed for three and a half hours after the collision between the unregistered motorbike and a silver Vauxhall Astra at the junction with Keilars Brae.

The 60-year-old driver was unhurt, according to police.

Central Scotland Police have appealed for information about the accident, which happened at 5.20pm.

The tragedy is the latest in a series of accidents in recent years involving mini-motorbikes.

The bikes are legal for children to ride as long as they are kept off public roads and footpaths.

Unlike conventional motorbikes, they do not need to be registered unless they are driven on roads.

To ride them legally on private land, riders must have the landowner's permission.

On-road riders must be aged 16 or over and the rider must have a valid driving licence, road tax and insurance.

Earlier this year, the distraught parents of a six-year-old killed riding a 'mini-moto' appealed for better provision of safe and affordable tracks for children to practise on.

Kane Small died after riding a friend's mini-motorbike near Birmingham.

A spokeswoman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said yesterday:

"We would appeal to parents thinking about buying a mini-motorbike to only do so if they are sure there is somewhere safe and legal for their children to ride in the local area.

"They should also look into local training facilities as there are people out there who offer training and run clubs.

"Sadly, this is not the first death that we've heard of regarding mini-motorbikes."

In 2006, John Reid, the then Home Secretary, launched a nationwide crackdown against nuisance mini-motorbike riders.

As part of that initiative, the bikes, which can reach speeds of up to 60mph, could be confiscated by police officers and destroyed.