Let me start this by saying this is probably a problem only visible in more affluent areas, as I am not sure how many people have the kind of disposable income to buy their kids electric dirt bikes/bicycles, as some of these thing are pricey as my kids tell me.
Listen I am all for kids having fun and the like, and I am sure I annoyed motorists on my bike as a kid a few times. As for the large groups of people on bikes holding up traffic and the like, that is an entireley different conversation. The problem here is that these electric bikes fall into a weird space, and there are no guidelines being followed for them, maybe new ones are needed but probably not.
These motorized bikes don’t fall under a motorized vehicle that would normally require a license issued by a government agency. They are far more powerful and fast than a bike powered by human power or via electric assistance while pedaling. Here in lies the problem.
These things do not belong on the sidewalk at these speeds, most bikes don’t belong on the sidewalk. So they are on the street where bikes should be. However there seems to be an abundance of people treating them as motor vehicles and driving them in the middle of traffic lanes, weaving between traffic etc, generally young people who are under driving age and may not understand the implications. This is highly problematic, as its dangerous, it introduces another aspect for drivers, as you have a new vehicle type that doesn’t follow the rules of the road, or the driving dynamics, of what many are familiar with.
Maybe they just need to follow the rules of bicycles, and use bike lanes, and obey stop signs and the like. But then again I see many cyclists that don’t obey the traffic rules, or use signals when bicycling. So maybe it stems from that.
Maybe its lack of parenting, I see many of these young kids riding around with reckless abandon. I know young people think they are invincible we all go through that phase, but a feeling of invincibility and jumping in front of a 6000lb vehicle on a tiny electric bike is just plain stupidity. Shows a total lack of proper guidance, when giving kids these things. Once there are a few in your neighborhood there will be hundreds, as people are stuck in the whole keeping up with the Jones’ mentality.
I am not advocating for banning of these things, I think they are awesome, and if I was a kid I would be begging my parents for one. I have even asked my boys if they want one. I am just asking that we use them responsibly when there are all sorts of drivers on the road, young with little driving experience, older with slower reaction times, and on and on.
Driving safely without getting in an accident is challenging enough, we don’t need zippy little vehicles coming out of nowhere to complicate things.
Maybe if a kid is being extremely reckless or dangerous, these can be impounded only to be released via a training session, to be attended by parent and child. Or maybe only to be released to parent. Or a moving violation issued to the parent’s driver’s license, to get some buy in from those equipping these kids with these vehicles. Or maybe kid will have to delay his driver’s license attainment. I think there are lot of things that can be done to encourage more responsible use of these.
I get it no matter what rules we implement there will be people that break them. The problem is currently we really don’t have any rules for these things, or don’t enforce any guidelines around there use. And that is a problem because you end up with chaos. Driving around in cars works because generally the majority of people obey the color of the traffic light, and the posted speed limit.
The situation seems to be getting worse. My biggest fear is that someone will get seriously injured in an accident. As there are no winners in an accident, when injuries happen.
We need to start managing these things now, before someone gets seriously hurt, and then we overcompensate by banning more fun things in this world.