Death of 13-year-old motorcycle rider has some asking, how young is too young?
Aug 30, 2010, 10:00 AM EST
By now you’ve probably heard of the tragic accident that took the life of 13-year-old motorcycle driver Peter Lenz, who was taking a practice run at a youth racing event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday when he fell off of his bike and was run over by another 12-year-old driver. Lenz was a popular and accomplished figure on the United States Grand Prix Racing Union circuit, and news of his death has hit the racing community hard; condolences flowing in to his Facebook page by the hundreds. There are also, however, questions being asked. When it comes to high-speed motorsports events such as the one in which Lenz was competeing (in which bikes are ridden as speeds of up to 120 mph), how young is too young? Comment on the story at Speed.com:
Why do parents allow their children to do such dangerous things? They are too young to understand the risks involved. It’s very sad. — FlashGTA
That comment represents many who think it folly for parents to allow their children to be involved in dangerous activities, whether it be motorcycle racing, sailing around the world or climbing mountains. Earlier this year, 13-year-old Jordan Romero became the youngest person to summit Mt. Everest; with his father noting that during their ascent, they watched as another nearby climber died when he fell into a crevice.
In June, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland attempted to sail solo around the world, and needed an international rescue effort when her boat became disabled in the Indian Ocean.
And Lenz himself had been seriously injured on the track just last year, when he suffered a broken leg, a broken arm and a severed nerve at Portland International Raceway.
From the Associated Press:
Racers insist age has never been the issue.
American Colin Edwards was running 250cc bikes at age 17, and Indy MotoGP runner-up Ben Spies was competing on the 125cc circuit at age 12.
“That’s not like a bike too big for him, you know, I mean this is our sport, we chose to do it,” said American Nicky Hayden, the 2006 world champ who called the death “terrible.”
“I mean, sure, we know going in the consequences.”
But at age 12 or 13, is a child mature enough to make those choices? USGPRU officials say that this was the first fatality in the series in nine years. But even so, is sending 12-year-olds hurtling around the Indy Motor Speedway at 120 mph a wise thing to do? I don’t claim to have the answer; I just know that the debate about kids and dangerous sports is revving up once again.
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Motorcycle rider, 13, dies after crash at Indy [NBCSports]
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- Life@Fullest - Aug 30, 2010 at 1:46 PM
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Life is for living and if you are going to live then do so to the fullest. A life filled with fear of what could happen is hallow at best but all too common. Regardless of his age, this young man died doing what he loves. What could be better than that? Get things right with your GOD and then get after what he put you here to do and if your life is one that does not include faith of any kind then live as though you will like where you end up and proud to put your name on it when you are done.
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- Greg - Aug 30, 2010 at 1:53 PM
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Children should be prohibited from such activities until they are adults.
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- Jason in KY - Aug 30, 2010 at 1:55 PM
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having a friend who got to ride with Lenz, I’ll say this….the kid LOVED what he did and Im glad he got to do it. Not many kids get to do what they love.
Its an accident and accidents happen. The way you have 19 and 20 year old amazing athletes is having them start learning at 10, 11 and 12 years old. I suppose if they started at 20 and had an accident at 28 that this would somehow be less terrible? Definitely not.
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- Chris in Michigan - Aug 30, 2010 at 2:35 PM
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As someone that has ridden motorcycles from age 4 and started racing at age 8, now that I am 44 I can say I am happy to see that this kid got to do what he loved to do. Granted, it was a tragedy that he was killed doing it, but by all accounts he loved to race. Too many times, there are kids that for one reason or another do not get to follow their heart and pursue that passion. In all aspects of life there are risks but to think that he should not have been racing because of his age is short sighted. After all, whats to say that if he wasn’t racing he couldn’t/wouldn’t have been killed in a car accident, falling down a set of steps, or even by something like an allergic reaction from a bee sting. It is funny that because we have become an information-available-at-a-mouse-click society that we feel the need to protect everyone else from themeselves and their passions.
RIP young Mr. Lenz
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- Philip - Aug 30, 2010 at 2:37 PM
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I almost always fall on the “individual choice” side of these arguments, but I do find it incongruous that if this kids parents told him it was OK to not wear a seat belt on the way to the event they could be pulled over and ticketed (or more), yet its just fine that he participate in this race. Either the government interest lies in risk reduction or it doesn’t, but this makes no sense.
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- Karen - Aug 30, 2010 at 2:48 PM
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A very unfortunate result of a greater rider, but if your going to start being selective about what you think a child should enjoy or be involved in then you better start broading your horizons. There are many children who snow ski an go down the mountains at excessive speeds that are less than 7 yrs. and many more that ride bikes on the streets or play ball in the street, or playing contact sports. ok how about this one, there are more children today who are morbidly obese and inactive than ever before. This is by far more dangerous and torturous to them because their deaths are prolonged, and causes excessive diseases they acquire and have to live with. Diabetes, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, etc. At lease these other children get to LIVE!! Lenz was not an inexperience driver, his parents should be commended for supporting him, and allowing him to experience life. None of us are guaranted how long we are going to be allowed on this earth so enjoy it, see it, and live it.
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- Andy - Aug 30, 2010 at 3:06 PM
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I have a nine year old who loves all sports and I have always said that I will only get him involved in things he “wants” to do. If he wants to play baseball he could die from a hard line drive, if he wants to ride his bike he could get hit going to the neighbor’s house. Everybody hates it when a child dies, but this was a tragic accident and nothing more, just like the young lady who died after being hit by a puck at a hockey game.
To the parents: I know the next few weeks or even months will be pure hell, you will second guess every single step leading up to the accident, you will punish yourselves and you will hurt. Just know that, if, as others have posted, he died doing what he loved then you did your job. My condolences.
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- Ken - Aug 30, 2010 at 3:17 PM
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According to figures from the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, there were 93 children under the age of 15 killed in bicycle accidents in 2008 (latest figures). As tragic as this accident is, we should realize that we can’t protect our kids from all dangers. Let them be kids and enjoy life to the fullest, however short the time given them.
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- Julie - Aug 30, 2010 at 3:25 PM
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I’m one of those parents that lets thier child go hurtling around the track. It’s not at 120mph but he races a 450 quad and clears huges jumps that terrify me. I ride the same track and watching him gives me chills. He’s my oldest and is now 17 and when I want to tell him no my father reminds me that I know where he is nearly every evening and every weekend. In the garage or at the track. In the winter he is on a snowmachine jumping crevasses. All I can do is give him the best in safety equipment, correct him when he has done something wrong, raise him with love and paitence (althiought he tries it and his younger brother is learning from him). I’m so sorry this young racer died. I hope his parents and the young racer involved in the accident can get past it.
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- Kip - Aug 30, 2010 at 3:43 PM
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I have no problem with children this boys age doing sports like this.
It is their/and their parents choice. It is none of my business.
Too bad there are so many people in the country/world who are more concerned about other people and want to push their own values and ideas on others instead of worrying about themselves.
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- Eric Shuster - Aug 30, 2010 at 3:57 PM
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These things happen. The kid had a better chance of dying in a car accident on the freeway than dying on a race track.
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- konaehukai - Aug 30, 2010 at 4:14 PM
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This person dies doing what he wanted to do. How many great athletes in any sport started by putting on pads when they were 18? None. How many men got into the NFL not playing football in Jr high or earlier. Very few.
People that say he was too young to understand the risks aren’t giving young people enough credit. My grandfather came over to this country from Denmark when he was 12. My grandmother came over from Ireland when she was 13. Both of them were alone. You may say that it was a different time, but I beg to differ. Adults in this country think that kids this age are incompetant. I completely disagree. It’s the paretns in this country that are incompetant. How? Just look at the reaction to Janet Jackson a few years ago. The reaction to that was appalling. Parents shelter their kids too much. It’s a wonder that any of them grow up and lead productive lives.
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- alright - Aug 30, 2010 at 4:20 PM
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Anyone notice the 750 people that like the facebook status?
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- Leonard - Aug 30, 2010 at 4:27 PM
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“But at age 12 or 13, is a child mature enough to make those choices?”
Maybe we should ask this same question when our law makers write laws and our court system sentence children of this age to prison as adults.
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- JiminPhilly - Aug 30, 2010 at 4:32 PM
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…. There are simply things that kids are not well equipped for which is why there are age restrictions for various activities. Just because a kid loves to do something doesn’t mean that he/she should be allowed to do it. It is our responsibility to keep our kids safe until they are able to make such choices themselves. There are few kids who would understand the dangers associated with racing at 120 MPH… The racers are required to wear helmets because of the dangers associated with racing… this means that the racers are dictated to with regard to safety and how to be safer…the decision is not left up to the racer… this should extend to a racer’s age…. to justify a 13 yr old kid dying with the thought that he was doing what he loved is simply ridiculous… he would certainly rather be alive than dead… I’m deeply sorry for him and his parents but not for a sport that would take advantage of kids this age….
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- konaehukai - Aug 30, 2010 at 4:32 PM
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Why though? What is your reasoning? That it’s an dangerous sport? Well, what about football, hockey, baseball, boxing? All of these sports have had children die, whether it be head trauma, broken necks, etc. Shall we just say they can’t do these sports until they’re adults as well? I guess there goes the NFL, MLB, NHL, etc.
RIP little dude. Who knows you may have been the next superstar.
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- Jim - Aug 30, 2010 at 4:37 PM
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No one seems to consider how dangerous Football is and the severity of the injuries from that sport. How many kids get killed on their bicycles every year? My son raced for 8 years and he new the reality, we made sure of that. But some kids have that deep down desire and love of racing. As tragic as any death at that age is, that young man had that deep down desire to live life at its fullest. He lived more in his short time than most of us live our entire long lives. He died doing what he truly loved to do. People may have a hard time understanding why some people do what they do, but I admire this young man and I know his family will take comfort in knowing he died doing what he loved doing. Godspeed Peter.
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- konaehukai - Aug 30, 2010 at 4:37 PM
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Great comment Ken. I have skied since I was 3 never worn a helmet, never wore one riding a bike and I’ve never died. Let kids be kids. Too many parents refuse to do this. You can’t worry about what you can;t control. What happens, just happens. We are powerless to stop it.
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- johno - Aug 30, 2010 at 4:59 PM
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WOW. Like said before. Toomany of you want to push your beliefs and values on everyone else in this new “information at click of a mouse age”. It shows that most that post probably can’t control their own children so they feel the need to try an control others. Willing to be that this kid was a better rider than anyone posting on here and i am willing to bet that most posting on here never, raced, never rode, hell never did anything because they live a sheltered life. My son has been racing motocross since he was 6. He is now 14 about to turn 15. Spent all summer learning to walk all over after destroying his knee in a wreck. He was 15ft. in the air came down feet first and was travelling about 35mph. Guess what Doctors cleared him to race agaon just three days ago. And to all those that feel the need to control others lives, he will be back on the track again in a few weeks doing what he loves. So glad that those on here wanting to tell my son what and when he can do something have no life except posting useless comments on the internet. Stop worrying about everyone else and worry about yourselves people.
R.I.P Peter Lenz. May your memory never be forgotten
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- Ducati 999 - Aug 30, 2010 at 5:05 PM
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One crowded hour of glorious motorcycle riding/racing is worth an age without a name.
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- Rick Chandler - Aug 30, 2010 at 5:09 PM
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(clip)- He lived more in his short time than most of us live our entire long lives. -(clip) I admire your passion Jim, but um, no. I’m sounding the buzzer on this one; you do not win the round.
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- Joe J. Frazer - Aug 30, 2010 at 5:11 PM
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As a parent, one must learn to say no. This young man wanted to do this, his parents agreed. Now his parents must live with this decision for the rest of their lives. I can only say that I would have said no, especially after the injuries Peter Lenz had previously. No young person has the right to demand anything from their parents as of right. That’s why they are the parents. Would we have let this young man drive a Nascar Car, and Indy Car or any other type of vechicle. Speed kills and unfortunately it did here. May Peter Lenz rest in peace.
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- r - Aug 30, 2010 at 5:11 PM
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unfortunately, his chance was 100% that he did in a motorcycle wreck
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- E Ruff - Aug 30, 2010 at 5:13 PM
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Don’t allow kids to participate in any sports. They all carry inherent risks. Kids have died or become sereiously injured playing baseball, football, hockey, water skiing, snow skiing, skateboading, bicycling, gymnastics, cheerleading and so on and so on.
Make them stay in the house and play video games. Oh wait, kids have suffered from seizures playing video games. Just lock them in their rooms and make all their desicions for them until they’re 18 and then send them out to cope in the world.
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- r - Aug 30, 2010 at 5:14 PM
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to young to vote, drink, have sex and just starting puberty… but i can ride a motorcycle at 120mph… come on…
