JUPITER — E-bikes are fast, popular and potentially dangerous, and they’re sparking a conversation in neighborhoods across Florida about how to keep their teenage riders safe. Crashes involving them killed at least two boys in Florida last week.
Rico Roundtree was a bubbly sixth-grader at Jupiter Middle School, known as the kind of boy who “was going to be the prom king,” one teacher said. People knew him for his humility, gregarious nature and his smile.
The 12-year-old died in a crash Thursday night in Jupiter, and his family and friends honored him with a balloon release Sunday that drew hundreds of people to Abacoa Community Park.
“Every act of kindness, no matter the size, will go a long way in easing our burdens,” reads a statement posted on behalf of his family on Facebook. “Thank you for the willingness and consideration to come together to let us know that we are not alone.”
Along the Gulf Coast, Clayton Miller died Saturday when a car struck him as he rode his e-bike through a North Naples neighborhood. Described as “kind and loving,” the 14-year-old played football and had won a youth league championship with the Naples Hurricane.
Jupiter will have a community meeting about e-bikes — and e-motos, their faster, more powerful siblings — at 6 p.m. Thursday at Town Hall as parents and community leaders look for ways to reduce the number of crashes. Solutions might range from changes in state law to greater local efforts to make kids aware of their dangers.
Here are five things to know about e-bikes.
What is an e-bike?
An e-bike is a bicycle equipped with an electric motor that can reach speeds of up to 28 mph, about twice the speed a person can hit while pedaling quickly. They can reach about 30 mph when riders bypass the speed controls on the vehicles, which has become a trend.
Some popular e-bike brands are Heybike, Lecrtic and Aventon. The average cost is about $2,000, and they typically come with a motor already installed.
There is no age restriction for riding e-bikes in Florida, but riders under the age of 16 are required to wear helmets.
What is an e-moto?
An e-moto is an electric motorcycle that is larger and heavier than an e-bike. It is an off-road vehicle meant for dirt tracks. They are illegal to operate on public streets, highways or sidewalks.
E-motos can go as fast as 40 mph. When their speed controls are bypassed, they can reach almost 60 mph, or as fast as some cars travel on highways like Interstate 95. Some popular e-moto brands are Kawaski, Livewire and Verge. The average cost of an e-moto is about $7,000. Helmets are recommended.
David England, Jupiter’s former police chief, said last year that some parents buy e-motos for their kids thinking they are e-bikes. As a result, they become a means of travel to middle school.
Why are e-bikes causing traffic safety problems?
Many kids are not just riding e-bikes, they are popping wheelies, making abrupt turns, weaving in and out of traffic lanes and zipping in front of cars, leading some drivers to slam on their breaks. They’re often doing it without wearing helmets.
Jupiter’s Abacoa neighborhood is a popular spot for kids to ride, and joyride, on e-bikes. Town Council member Malise Sundstrom lives there and says she often sees middle school-aged kids riding recklessly around the oak-lined streets filled with single-family homes.
“They go very fast,” Sundstrom said. “There are conflicts on the sidewalks, and driving at night is scary and there are a lot of distracted drivers. … With e-bikes and visibility issues, our transportation landscape is changing.”
Sundstrom said the next step with people breaking road rules on e-bikes may be more enforcement by police. She also thinks better street lights may help.
What does the law say about e-bikes?
Florida law governs the use of e-bikes. It treats them like regular bicycles, said England, who noted that the laws surrounding e-bikes are “not as well-defined” as those for golf carts, which share the road with cars like bikes do.
E-bikes cannot use their motors on sidewalks; their riders can only pedal them like bicycles. If they are ridden on the road, a person can either pedal or use the bike’s electric power, but they have to follow the road rules associated with bicycles. The law also requires riders under the age of 16 to wear helmets.
For the past year, Jupiter police have taught kids and parents about the legalities surrounding the two- and three-wheelers by visiting local schools and passing out fliers.
They pull over kids who break road rules to give them a warning or issue a citation, depending on the severity of the infraction and whether they have been stopped before. A citation also could require them to pay a fine and delay obtaining a driver’s license to age 18, rather than 16.
What will happen at the e-bike forum Thursday in Jupiter?
Police Chief Michael Barbera, who replaced England at the top of the department in October, will lead the session along with Mayor Jim Kuretski and Sundstrom.
Sundstrom said on her Facebook page that the forum would cover the following areas:
“We all share in the responsibility of keeping our community safe,” Sundstrom wrote. “This Town Hall will be an important step toward finding solutions that work for Jupiter.”
Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: What makes an e-bike dangerous? Five things to know in the wake of Jupiter’s fatal crash
Reporting by Maya Washburn, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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