Some suburbs are beginning to enforce stricter regulations on children who ride electric bikes and scooters, as part of efforts to prioritize public safety.
The village of Hinsdale is taking strict action by banning children from operating electric scooters.
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For many electric bikes, there are no age requirements. But, under state law, e-bikes need to have an output under 750 watts.
The penalties are high for those caught breaking the rules.
“An ordinance fine for a e-bike citation or scooter citation could be up to $750,” Hinsdale Police Deputy Chief Tom Lillie said.
Since the ordinance went into effect on May 5, the village of Hinsdale says they have given out 150 citations.
“We think it’s a ticking time bomb. Someone’s going to get hurt, seriously, if not die, if action isn’t taken,” Village President Greg Hart said.
According to Hart, there have been incidents where e-scooters or bikes have collided with cars, but fortunately, no injuries have been reported. He mentions that most of the riders using these electric devices are middle school students.
“I believe there is absolutely no justification for a child under 18 to be riding a vehicle capable of reaching 50 miles per hour, especially when many do so without a helmet,” stated Hart.
Officials believe the uptick in parents buying e-scooters and e-bikes is due to the financial cost going down.
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“The abundance we have seen is because a bike that was, say, under $1,000 last year is now maybe $300 this year,” Lillie said.
Those unlawfully riding the devices not only face a fine, but just one conviction can prevent a pre-teen’s ability to get a driver’s license.
Hinsdale is not alone in their efforts. The village of Schaumburg set a minimum age of 16 for riders.
Local businesses are joining in, too, putting up not just signs, but their own version of barricades to halt kids from riding e-scooters and e-bikes in the area.
“You don’t have to ride your bike in the parking lot of a grocery store; go somewhere to an empty lot or something,” Kramer Foods Manager Michael Kinnavy said.
Kinnavy says kids riding e-bikes and e-scooters were putting his customers in danger at the Kramer Grocery Store in downtown Hinsdale. They put up grocery carts as barricades, but it might’ve heightened temptation.
“We do get some kids that are still kind of swerving in, more like a game now,” Kinnavy said.
And some parents are joining calls to put public safety first.
“You do have to keep an eye out, and just a matter of time for an accident happens with a pedestrian or a driver,” Hinsdale parent Tom Urban said.
Hinsdale is also making efforts to educate children on the potential risks of riding motorized bikes and scooters.
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