E-Bikes And E-Scooters Are Fun, Useful And Sometimes Terrifying: Block Talk

A 5-year-old boy was life-flighted to a children’s hospital in Philadelphia after his electric bicycle collided with a 35,000-pound car on Monday.

Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, police say it appears the boy riding a “Strike Throne” e-bike left a local high school parking lot and struck the passenger side of the passing car. His condition hasn’t been updated.

Last month, a 61-year-old man died at the scene after his e-scooter collided with a Mercedes-Benz about 100 times its weight in Bristol, Connecticut.

And on Long Island, a mother mourned her son and said she wished she’d never bought him an e-bike.

These stories of lives lost and futures altered underscore growing concerns nationwide about the safety of micro-mobility vehicles that can zip along at 15 or 30 miles per hour. Local officials across the country are taking a closer look at where electric bikes and scooters belong, how fast they should go, who should ride them, and how rules should be enforced — while also making room for a fast-growing form of transportation with a lower carbon footprint.

We asked readers for Block Talk, Patch’s exclusive neighborhood etiquette column, what policies they’d like to see in their towns. Respondents to our informal survey reported dozens of near misses, as well as incidents that put at least one party in the hospital.

Here’s What Not To Do

E-scooter and e-bike use has flourished because people want faster, cheaper, and more flexible ways to make short trips without dealing with traffic, parking, or the hassle of owning a car.

“Once again, something becomes popular, and only then do we realize there should be rules for its use. They are motorized vehicles on public streets. Why wasn't that thought of before?” said Barnegat-Manahawkin (New Jersey) Patch reader Kirsta.
While rounding a curve, an e-scooter rider suddenly appeared in the travel lane, riding against the flow of traffic, and Kirsta narrowly avoided hitting him.

“Had I been in any way distracted, I would have hit him. He had no helmet on. It would have had a very bad outcome,” said Kirsta, who thinks regulations should require proper safety gear, insurance and licensure for those 17 and older.

“I know what they should not do. They should not ban them completely,” said Philadelphia Patch reader Jeff P.
“I’m a 65-year-old male, live in center city Philadelphia, and ride my scooter to avoid traffic.

“I wear a helmet, ride responsibly and avoid sidewalks,” he continued. “I go out of my way to follow the designated bike routes for added safety. Restricting my use of a scooter would force me into the car.”

His only close calls have been “with pedestrians who think standing in the bike lane before crossing a street is a good idea. I’m constantly contending with oblivious pedestrians.”

‘Crucial’ Infrastructure

Despite a serious crash last year that required surgeries, put her in a wheelchair for several months, and left her with a painful limp, Alsip-Crestwood (Illinois) Patch Jill is a big proponent of micro-mobility vehicles as “crucial” transportation infrastructure.

“We haven’t owned a car in eight years, and it’s the only way we get around,” she said. “My kids would not be able to go to the park, after-school activities, events, etc., if we lost our e-bikes.”

Jill added, "If kids are being unsafe — adults, too — or riding without helmets, etc., they should be prosecuted with fines and maybe even jail time, because harm can and does happen.”

“I am an e-bike owner. I would love to see more bike lanes, as there are so many positive aspects of e-bikes and scooters — they save on gas, there are fewer vehicles on the road, fresh air and they’re fun,” said Plainfield (Illinois) Patch reader Bekki.

“E-bikes allow people to travel farther than they normally could on regular bikes,” she said. “We are in our 50s and riding them certainly is easier for us compared to regular bikes, and it makes us feel so young to be on them.”

Alpharetta-Milton (Georgia) Patch reader John thinks his town should embrace e-scooters and e-bikes and create a safe environment for their operation.

“Our family frequently rides e-scooters and e-bikes in and around Alpharetta,” John said. “The only issue is that the roads and sidewalks are not great to ride on. Maybe if cities built out better infrastructure for pedestrians and the bikes and scooters, there wouldn't be so many incidents.”

‘Keep Government Tentacles Out’

G-Man, a Manasses (Virginia) Patch reader, said use should be restricted to those over 16 years, but the “electric alternative should not be infringed upon.”

“Keep government tentacles out of it,” said G-Man, who wants to see more data on the frequency of accidents, fatalities, or mishaps involving electric bikes and scooters versus other road vehicles.

Other readers said electric bikes and scooters aren’t a passing fad and local governments should treat them as a permanent part of the transportation mix that still needs clearer rules around safety, speed, sidewalks and enforcement.

Vehicles Or Toys?

Bensalem (Pennsylvania) Patch reader Rick said the first step in writing policies should be defining whether e-scooters are “vehicles or toys.”

“If they’re vehicles, all traffic laws would have to apply to them. They would have to be licensed and insured and have mandatory safety features for both the scooter and driver and operate only on streets, not sidewalks,” Rick said. “If they’re toys, they would be banned from operating on streets and be restricted to sidewalks and playgrounds.”

Branford (Connecticut) Patch reader Linn saw kids treating their e-bikes like toys on Route 1, a major commercial corridor.

“Not two days ago … there were four teens who were doing ‘tricks,’ like standing on the bike sites and such, right on the busy main road,” Linn said.

“Why do people ride these things? Sometimes I see people doubled up with a child on an e-scooter on the sidewalk,” Upper East Side (New York) Patch reader MFP said.

‘A Tragedy In The Making’

Readers disagreed on whether e-scooters should be restricted to sidewalks. Fairfield (Connecticut) Patch reader Laura and AMC, a Northridge-Chatsworth (California) Patch reader, are squarely in the “no” column on that.

“E-scooters should not be allowed on sidewalks,” Laura said. “Walkers cannot see behind them to know who is coming.”

“I do not feel safe!” AMC emphasized. “Walking on the sidewalk almost got me run down several times. They absolutely do not belong on the sidewalk with pedestrians.”

“I’ve almost gotten run into by e-scooters, and I think they should not be allowed to ride on the sidewalks,” said Fairfax City (Virginia) Patch reader Trekfan, who reported other “close calls.”

“I was standing waiting for a bus, and if I had moved just a few inches, that scooter would have crashed into me,” Trekfan said. “Some people ring the bells to let you know they are coming; far too many don’t.”

“Young, unsupervised children with e-bikes and e-scooters are a tragedy in the making,” Emilio said. “Restrict the age to 16 and above and speed to 15 mph. Enforce all traffic regulations for e-riders. Prohibit from sidewalks. Prohibit functioning throttles for e-bikes,” Doylestown (Pennsylvania) Patch reader Emilio said.

• Related: Juvenile Flown To Hospital After Stafford E-Bike Crash
• Teen Hospitalized After E-Bike Crash With Tesla

Ban Them In NYC

Brooklyn (New York) Patch reader Carol thinks micro-mobility vehicles should be “completely banned” in New York City.

“Our traffic is too heavy, and our road space is insufficient. Our laws are not enforced strongly enough. We have people weaving in and out of our heavy traffic and riding on sidewalks as well as in parks,” Carol said.

“For more times than I can count, I, as the driver of a car, have been responsible for the scooter riders’ safety,” she said. “These scooter operators tend to be reckless.”

Other survey respondents said they’ve stepped up their defensive driving skills to avoid hitting fast-moving e-bikes and e-scooters that can seemingly pop out of nowhere.

“If they are in front of me, I hang back,” said Denise, an Across America Patch reader who also follows Worcester Patch and Wayland Patch, both in Massachusetts.

“Unless scooters are required to follow the same laws as automobiles, I do not feel safe sharing the road,” Denise said, adding that she was recently “behind a middle school child who went right through a red light.”

• Related: Town Approves E-Bike Restrictions

‘I Cannot Trust Them’

Are streets where they’re outmatched by the size and power of other traffic the right place for e-scooters and e-bikes, especially those operated by kids?

“These children on e-bikes are in the street with me and other cars. They are not in bike lanes; they are in the space between my car and any parked cars,” said Novato (California) Patch reader Gloria, who favors age restrictions as well as written and driving tests.

“I cannot trust these elementary school-age children not to swerve their bikes in front of me,” she said. “I can assume that car drivers on the street with me are at least the legal age to drive and have passed the written and driving tests.”

In a collision with another car, there’s a good chance no one will be injured, Gloria said.

“This is not the same if a kid swerves in front of me,” she said. “The odds are that he will be injured or killed.”

Gangs Of E-Scooter Riders

“These electric scooters are dangerous to the public, and they are shockingly under-regulated,” said Jill, a Bronxville-Eastchester (New York) Patch reader, who was narrowly missed by an e-scooter traveling about 15 miles an hour.

“The same rules that regulate motorcycles should apply, and a license should be required for all e-scooters,” Jill said. “Typically, no license is needed for e-scooters that don’t go above 20 mph. This makes no sense and puts the public at risk — being hit at 15 or 20 mph can obviously cause serious injury or death.”

For that reason, Jill thinks their use should be prohibited from operating on sidewalks and in bike lanes and “should only be permitted on roads.”

Sammy, an Oakland Township-Lake Orion (Michigan) Patch reader, thinks it’s OK for adults with a license to travel on their e-scooters on primary roads, but teens should have more restrictions because of their own behavior.

“Where I live, far too many young teens have e-scooters. They ride in bunches on the streets … and ignore cars. I’ve seen them take up the whole road, not letting cars pass, and dart across lanes without looking,” Sammy said. “Until there are some very unfortunate and serious accidents, I fear our locale will continue to turn a blind eye to the growing danger of e-scooters on roads.”

• Related: Boy Seriously Injured After E-Bike Runs Stop Sign

‘Parents Should Beware Of Lawsuits’

“Ban them, especially for young teens,” Peekskill-Cortlandt (New York) Patch reader Grace said.

“I was plowed into by two 13-year-old girls riding fast together on one big electric scooter with no helmets as I was leaving the store. On the sidewalk, mind you. I was injured, requiring many tests and physical therapy. The pain lingers many months later,” Grace said. “They don’t have good sense at that age. Parents should beware lawsuits.”

Parents of minors involved in scooter mishaps “need to be held 100 percent accountable for the damages and injuries their kids cause,” said West Chester (Pennsylvania) Patch reader Tiger Lily. “There should also be e-scooter driver education classes that are mandatory for all minors.”

San Francisco Patch reader Kevin said public education efforts need to keep pace with the evolution of new ways to commute and get around.

“Educate the public about how to safely share the road,” Kevin said. “Riders need education about riding safely and possibly require classes or safety tests about riding and/or a decal or flag or other visible confirmation of the successful test.”

‘Now They Rule The Road’

Temecula (California) Patch reader Kristi said she and other members of her family have had some close calls with micro-mobility vehicles, “but usually we are just given the bird.”

In her town, officials just need to do a better job of enforcing e-scooter regulations already in place, Kristi said.

“We do not feel safe walking every morning near the middle school,” Kristi said. “There are laws limiting e-scooters and e-bikes near schools. However, that is where I see the most speeding on sidewalks.”

• Related: Police In This City Step Up Enforcement

“I have had several close calls while walking on a sidewalk. A little consideration by the rider would be human,” said Baltimore Patch reader Lynn.

Lynn would also like those using point-to-point e-bike share programs to refrain from leaving the bike lying “across the sidewalk for pedestrians to trip over.”

“These guys feel they don't need to follow road rules. They are out of hand, and it doesn't matter what town you go to; they’re all over the place,” said Henniker (New Hampshire) Patch AM reader R.J. “I drive for a living, and I see this all over the place, day in and day out.”

“Do something soon,” implored New Yorker Carol, who reads Forest Hills Patch and Queens Patch. “This started during the pandemic, and nothing was done to control it. Now they rule the road and the sidewalks.”

About Block Talk

Block Talk is a regular Patch feature offering real-world advice from readers on how to resolve everyday neighborhood problems. If you have a neighborhood etiquette question or problem you'd like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com with Block Talk as the subject line.

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