Schoolboy cyclist who died in road collision went downhill through red light with no brakes

When I was at school in the late 70s the Police came round and checked the bikes over at school. I remember mine getting a yellow ticket because the rear brake pads were worn, or was it loose bar tape? Those with red tickets couldn't be used I think? My mate had a cycle speedway bike with no brakes and he got a red ticket.
Poor parents, but so many kids ride at night with no lights,so checking for other faults must be down on their priorities, it's up to the parents to take some responsibility

Watch any BMX video, rare anyone is using brakes (as in no brakes physically attached), such is the skill level of these guys now. I've given up the BMX now but I didn't use brakes on mine but then again I was only using it in selected places like parks not as transport.

You can learn a lot of forced skill without brakes but as everyday transport it's not a good idea. When I first got a fixie I tried to use it without brakes and that lasted about 5 minutes before I stuck a front brake on.

It seems to be one of those cases of "I'm young and indestructable". To me there is no difference between his attitude and the video from a few months ago where several were riding in and out of traffic and one was almost pinned between a truck and a car or the ones who decide to wheelie into oncoming traffic. Kids do stupid things* and unfortunately in this case, it has cost him his life and devasted several others. 

* I learnt all about momentum going down a hill on a BMX with only one front brake. This was when these ones were more likely to lock the wheel and flip you over. I was going too fast to slow with feet as the shoes where too slick. So, coming up to a (not busy) junction and no chance of apparent chance of stopping, I decided to try to jump off and run to a stop. As soon as my feet touched the ground I went head over heels, hence momentum learned. Surprisingly I escasped without even a scratch where I could have easily headbutted a kerb or something else and not be here. 

I see kids on bikes with disconnected v brakes all the time. Nothing hard to believe here.

I recall that the requirement for brakes was for bikes over a certain height, and if so, that could mean that BMXs are exempt. If they're designed for tricks, then it's a lot simpler to have no front brake than have one of those rotating things to allow for spinning the handlebars.

Such a shame that the kid couldn't have had a less serious crash (and certainly not crashing into someone else's vehicle) - that's the way most of us learn about hills and the need to stop.

Edit: Appears to be if a bike is less than 635mm tall (with saddle fully extended and tyres inflated) then you can get away with one brake on either wheel.

Interestingly, looking at the Haro website, it appears they sell BMX with no brakes, some with one brake and others with two brakes. It’s all a bit misleading though as the top of the line BMX bike clearly has no brakes in the picture but the description says it has one brake.

Then you read the description of this one: 

https://harobikes.com/collections/bmx/products/leucadia-16-2020

and it says perfect for ‘riding to school’ yet it only has one, rear brake.

It would appear that selling a bike in the UK without the correct brakes fitted (which varies according to systems/ intended use) is an offence. When you make a comment like ‘ideal for riding to school’ it would be a reasonable assumption to assume that it was going to be ridden on the highway therefore it would need a functioning front brake along with the rear.

https://ukcyclerules.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/buying-selling-bikes-basic...

Of course, none of this means that any owner could not have removed the functioning brakes themselves after purchase, but it does seem strange that bikes would be advertised on the manufacturer’s website without the warning that they are not intended for use on the public highway if they don’t comply with the law.

PP

Having no brakes can mean not having a functioning brake, that is how I read it anyway, the article doesn't make it clear. it'd be extremely rare for even a BMX not to have a brake but of course they can be removed. 

The kid obviously cycled that route regularly  from the article which we assume included the downhill section so he wouldn't have been unfamiliar with the speeds and managed to get to and from school before without incident.

Ensuring your kids bikes have brakes is your parental responsibility, to not do that is tantamount to sending your kid to the slaughter, the response by the father was to state that you should wear a helmet, not that it would have helped the poor sod, maybe ensuring your child's bikes had working brakes might have meant your child came home that day!

The parents will have to live with that for the rest of their lives as will the innocent party who struck the child.

Its very sad indeed, not only for the lad’s family, but think of the poor bloke who innocently hit him causing fatal injuries. Devastating for him too and probably something he will struggle with for many years.

It happened just down the road from me, and my wife (Cycling and Walking Champion for Cheshire East) has attended a number of meetings and talked with the school head and police.

PP

Used to be that most parents had the skills to check and maintain a bike. Agreed looking at the state of the bike shed at my son's school that seems to be a lost art. Hoping to run a bike maintenance session for them, if only to counter the car maintenance/driving course they already run.

My son spends a fair amount of time down the local skatepark (which is seriously epic) and I'd agree, most of the bikes I see there don't have brakes, and are ridden to the park. His does, despite protests. Odd thing is that virtually all of the riders there have helmets and pads and choose to wear them - even teenagers.

Poor lad, family and indeed, driver.

Flatland BMXs often don't have brakes, I believe.

Desperately sad for the lad.  And his friends and siblings.

And for his family?  Yes, but?

Sorry,  but the wee lad's parents/guardians drive motors and know the deal.  Bought the kid a bike, and didn't follow up.  Gutted for them ... that they have to live with the guilt that they let their lad out on an unroadworthy bike, that they'd not checked.

Sadly, as a supply-teacher-on-a-bike, I see dozens of unroadworthy BSO sh!t-heaps ridden into school bike sheds in many a school.  It scares me that so many car-owning parents/guardians appear to DGAF.

Maybe it's a "lost-generation" thing ... I'm in my 60s, grew up with cycling as natural, and would NEVER dream of my kids going out on the road without bike being safe.  Changed days .

This ended very sadly, but it always amazes me that parents allow their kids to cycle to school on bikes with no brakes, no lights etc. I see it every single day on my commute. Why do parents not make sure their kids bikes are legal?

Highly unlikely a BMX would have a back-pedal brake.

Most riders seem to favour the foot on back tyre method.

Genuinely no brakes or a pedal back brake?