ORLANDO, Fla. – E-bikes have become increasingly popular among school-age children, raising safety concerns on sidewalks and roadways.
Orange County Public Schools has received reports of unsafe incidents involving e-bikes and scooters. These concerns have prompted discussions on how to protect students and others nearby.
During a workshop last fall, the school board reviewed the growing use of e-bikes and scooters and explored ways to address the risks. Key factors include lack of helmets, inadequate infrastructure, rider inexperience, risky behavior and collisions with motor vehicles.
“Unfortunately, I think this probably does not rise to the level where it gets the attention it needs until we have several very, very, very serious accidents,” Orange County School Board Chair Teresa Jacobs said during the workshop.
Parents like Lillian Sandoval want to see some sort of change to improve safety.
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“I think they need to just be more careful and us drivers be more cautious around the schools because we do see a lot of kids in them, but they are dangerous, in my opinion,” she said.
“Maybe have like a designated area for those kids to go to, like away from the cars. I know it’s hard because of the schools and their locations, but maybe that would help.”
The school board is holding another workshop Tuesday to further discuss possible safety improvements. During the last one, the board discussed potential measures like raising awareness, providing student training, conducting parent outreach or even banning e-bikes on campus.
Local cyclist Chuck Holman emphasized education to improve how students ride in the area.
“[I see students] reckless driving, blowing stop signs, disobeying. A lot of them don’t even know the rules. So, yes, it’s very scary,” he said. “I believe they should have to take a course and they should have to be a certain age and have a card of some type, just like an authorized motorist on the road.”
During the last workshop, board members did not support a full ban on e-bikes and scooters but considered leaving regulation decisions to individual schools.
They will revisit the topic again Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.