PALM COAST, Fla. – Palm Coast and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office are stepping up enforcement on e-bikes after a surge in crashes and illegal activity. This crackdown follows the recent arrest of two teens who fled deputies on electric off-road bikes.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said current laws don’t give enough control over e-bikes. His team is drafting an ordinance they’ll ask Palm Coast city officials to pass to tighten regulations.
“We’re getting a lot more complaints about these e-bikes and electric motorcycles,” Staly said.
The sheriff noted several serious crashes involving e-bikes in recent months. Last week, a 14-year-old and 15-year-old were arrested for fleeing deputies on e-bikes.
“The e-bikes used to be classified as a motor vehicle, so every motor vehicle law applied to them, with a few exceptions like they didn’t have to have license plates,” Staly explained. “Now, they’re classified as a bicycle, even though they can go very fast.”
State law changed two years ago, limiting local power to regulate e-bikes. Many riders are modifying their bikes to exceed the standard 25 mph speed limit, too.
The new ordinance would allow deputies to impound e-bikes and issue tickets to riders.
“You’re going to get a hefty fine if you violate certain regulations like you have to stop when you’re crossing a road. You might be on the sidewalk but you have to stop,” Staly said.
Palm Coast spokesperson Shannon Martin said the city is also launching a safety campaign with the sheriff’s office. They hope to bring the campaign into schools once the new school year begins.
“We’ve seen an uptick recently in teen drivers of these electric vehicles but it’s really everybody’s responsibility,” Martin said.
Staly said the ordinance draft is nearly complete.
The next step is to present it to the Palm Coast City Council for a vote in the coming weeks.