St. Johns County residents concerned about the safety of children riding e-bikes
A crackdown on kids riding electric bikes could be coming in St. Johns County.
This comes as one county commissioner said she's received reports of kids riding the battery-powered bikes in an unsafe way, including through parking lots, streets, sidewalks, and shopping centers.
Some of the bikes can go up to 28 mph.
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'I know we all have received a number of messages from residents that are really concerned with the increasing use of e-bikes by young children in our communities,' District 5 Commissioner Ann Taylor said in a meeting last week.
Just last year, county commissioners unanimously voted to adopt an updated beach code ordinance, which bans the careless operation of any e-bike in the beach area.
However, Taylor is hoping to implement other legislation that would cover the entire county before any child is injured.
'While it is ultimately the responsibility of parents to ensure the safety of their children, we are aware that all parents may not enforce necessary precautions,' Taylor said.
Her goal is to adopt a proactive stance rather than a reactive one to prevent accidents that could result in severe injury due to a lack of experience and responsibility among young riders.
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Action News Jax talked with an e-bike rider in Nocatee. He said he has not seen any accidents, but there have been close calls.
'Especially with other bikes, on-coming bikes, and golf carts,' said John Pritchett. 'Kids are kids, and you know some are a little more reckless than others.'
All of this is still in the early stages. No ordinance has been created just yet.
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