12-08-2025
Delaware County, Pennsylvania, township hopes to prevent electric scooter accidents with new ordinance
Haverford Township Commissioners in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, are one step closer to stricter enforcement of electric scooters and bikes.
On Monday night, the board voted to move forward with an ordinance to prohibit people under the age of 16 from riding them.
If the ordinance soon passes and becomes law, it would be enforced in January 2026 with a $25 fine for noncompliance.
Commissioners believe this local ordinance is a meaningful and practical step to enhance safety for the young residents.
They said they are working toward a broader, widespread compliance statewide.
The ordinance comes weeks after 12-year-old Abby Gillion died in an electric scooter accident in Aston. Police said she was riding with a friend when they fell off and were hit by a car. Gillion's friend survived.
Last week, CBS News Philadelphia spoke exclusively with Gillon's family, who opened up about their heartache and the action they are taking so no family has to experience their pain.
"It's one of the worst phone calls a parent can get," Lori Kralle, Abby's mother, told CBS News Philadelphia.
Gillon's death shook the entire community.
"We feel broken," Kralle said. "She was my best friend. My only daughter. My only child."
The family is pushing for a new law called "Abby's Law," which would cap e-scooters speeds at 20 mph, ban riders under 16 years old, and require helmets for riders who are 16 and 17 years old.
