ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County is working to come up with new safety requirements for E-bikes and E-scooters.
On Tuesday, commissioners unanimously voiced concerns about the safety of e-devices, particularly focusing on teenage riders.
“I see a lot of young kids with headphones on or on their phones, and then boom, you get in a car accident,” said Mike Scott, Orange County Commissioner. “Now staff gets a chance to kind of drill into where the best opportunities are,” said Nicole Wilson, Orange County Commissioner.
Channel 9 previously reported Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children saw a 205% increase in e-bike and e-scooter injuries from October 1st of last year to October of this year.
It’s one of the few measurable stats regarding e-mobility devices, because state and local law enforcement agencies do not currently distinguish between crashes involving motorized and regular bikes.
County Commissioners directed staff to collect their own data and research the safety issue.
The county is considering implementing safety measures such as mandatory helmet use, minimum age limits for riders, and speed limits for e-devices. These proposals are expected to be reviewed by the board in the spring.
“The time is now,” said Wilson, “You see these layers kind of coming in of government in the effort to really address something that has grown so quickly that we’re just looking over our shoulder trying to get caught up.”
Commissioner Nicole Wilson is leading the safety conversation, following a petition from residents in her district urging county leaders to enhance education for teenage riders. The petition now has nearly 1,000 signatures.
Linda Sibley, who started the petition, said, “It’s frightening, these vehicles are silent, and you don’t hear them coming up behind you.”
The county is collaborating with the school district and the sheriff’s office to determine enforceable measures.
“If we don’t get enforcement, all these great intentions go nowhere,” said Commissioner Mayra Uribe who noted a potential challenge in asking already busy Orange County Sheriff deputies to enforce future e-bike related ordinances.
Specific proposals will be brought back before the board in the spring, but commissioners emphasize that educational initiatives should be prioritized. These could include mandatory training modules created in coordination with Orange County Public Schools.
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