CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Cape Coral police have arrested multiple children for fleeing and reckless riding on electric bikes, so they are cracking down.
Fox 4's Bella Line spoke with an e-bike store about safety they teach their customers:
"Going the wrong way on the road, across the road, we've had some in shopping centers that are really terrorizing really patrons, the business owners are at their wits end," Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore said.
One Cape Coral e-bike retailer we spoke with is working to educate parents about safety requirements and age-appropriate models before purchases are made.
"You hit something going 28 miles per hour, you're gonna get hurt. You hit something going over 28 miles per hour, death can be involved," said Joe Almanzar, store manager at Bimini Bay E-Bikes and Trikes.
According to Cape Coral Police, sidewalk-legal e-bikes must have pedals, max out at 28 miles per hour, and have motors under 750 watts. However, riders on sidewalks cannot exceed 10 miles per hour. For more information, click here.
"You don't want to put a 12 year old or 13 year old on a, on a piece of equipment that goes over 28 miles per hour," said Almanzar. "They don't have the capacity to understand the dangers of it."
Almanzar recommends 300-watt bikes for children that cap at 20 miles per hour. CCPD says any e-bike with motors over 750 watts is classified as a motorcycle under local regulations. Almanzar also recommends parents purchase proper safety gear for their kids when buying a bike.
"We just tell everyone, please be safe," Almanzar said.
CCPD says they are increasing targeted patrols in areas where unsafe e-bike riding occurs and sending educational materials home with students to address the growing safety concerns.
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