This week on 0684-Radi0, our free podcast (subscribe here in the iTunes Store), we talk to New Canaan Police Officer Nicole Vartuli about electric bikes or “e-bikes,” whose misuse here is causing serious safety concerns. Please also note that Officer Vartuli will be at New Canaan Library from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5 to educate the community on scooter and motorized bike safety. During that event—details here—the organization Northeast Community Cycles will collect bicycles at an outdoor drop-off location. Please note that rusty bikes cannot be accepted, nor can scooters, plastic toddler bikes or skateboards.
Here are recent episodes of 0684-Radi0:
A last week, I was sitting outside at Duncan Donuts. Kids on E-Bikes were riding up and down South Ave doing wheelies, cutting in front of cars. Going in and out of the Mobil gas station, riding up and down the driveway a alongside the new Indian Restaurant and coming out on South Ave.
I called NCPD and told them someone was going to get hurt, the officer said they would come and check on it. They did, but it hasn’t stopped.
Wilton put out a safety note on how to care for the lithium batteries that come with these bikes. https://www.wiltonct.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10026/f/news/pressreleaselithiumionbatterysafety.pdf
Notice how they say to keep them dry and out of direct sunlight? Does new canaan have covered bike racks?
So appropriate to raise this issue! (+ e Scooters, too) I keep wondering why all these 10-15 year olds are racing around at 40 mph going the wrong way or down the middle of busy roads, sometimes without helmets. Parents, schools, and police would all benefit from guidance and rules. As a town that recently experienced youth tragedy, we don’t need any more needless harm done.
Thanks for this. This is a massive head injury waiting to happen. Just the other evening around 11 pm we were driving home and three kids on ebikes were practicing some sort of road version of artistic swimming, swerving back and forth across the entire street, lit only by the flashing headlights of trying-to-pass vehicles, and to the rhythm of angry car horns. When I tried to ask them to get out of the way, one of them told me to go make love to myself, albeit in a more colorful manner. I worry that some night these motorcycle-lite riders are going to meet up with a DUI enthusiast, and things will get pretty gnarly pretty quickly.
The concern over eBikes and eScooters extends to our public parks which our eYouth are treating like dirt tracks. This creates not only risk to themselves, but other park visitors like Seniors and Children in Strollers, not to mention birdlife and wildlife. The new trails are being damaged and rutted by skidding and 360 turns. The ruts create walking hazards and promote erosion. The problem has become so acute in Bristow Park – New Canaan’s recently restored Bird Sanctuary and Wildwood Preserve – that a park ban may be posted restricting all electric/motorized vehicles and then enforced through the use of motion capture cameras.
Fully agree with Chris’ comments. I would also recommend that there should be a license/permit requirement for eBike/eScooter users.
New Canaan is certainly not the only community dealing with this issue right now. Many of our surrounding towns have had severe accidents involving these E bikes that have resulted in critical if not fatal injuries to the riders. These e-bikes, many of which are capable of reaching speeds of 30 mph and more, create a risk to both the rider and pedestrians who may or may not hear them coming. At a minimum, we, as a community, should be encouraging these young people to be wearing helmets that are suitable for this type of riding style and speed. Rather than looking at this issue on an enforcement basis, creating an adversarial relationship between Police and the young adults these bikes, maybe we should reapproach it as an educational opportunity to emphasize safe operation and helmet use while out on the streets. It is difficult to remind many adults to stay off their phones, wear seatbelts, and not exceed posted speed limits, but yet we criticize teens and preteens for not following the “rules of the road” even though we don’t practice this ourselves. Education will go farther with young people and maybe we as adults could learn a little bit ourselves.
As I observe young people, some as young as 10, “hanging out” as late as 11 PM on the weekends, I ask myself ,Where are their parents ? The e -bike riders are out of control and I fear for everyone’s safety. This weekend I have seen the Police Officers speak to them in a warm and friendl[y manner out of concern, and as soon as the officer leaves, they are back out there doing the same dangerous activities. This Saturday is a wonderful opportunity for both parents and kids to learn from Officer Nicole Vartulli, as she does a Community Wide Presentation on this topic. If your child has an e-bike I stongly urge you to be an informed parent. It may save the life of someone.
All of the commentary I am reading about electric bikes in New Canaan and nearby towns, and scary moments I have personally witness and reported to police, makes me wonder:
Should New Canaan have a public space, sort of like a skate park that you might find in California, for kids with bicycles?
Is there anywhere in town where something like this could be built? Could wooden tracks be built through select green spaces for them?
For all those advocating helmets, unfortunately CT does not have a helmet requirement for 2-wheelers like motorcycles and scooters. I own several motorcycles and always wear a full face helmet.
Recently, at a stop light in town, I asked one of the e-bike riders how fast they got their bike up to. The e-diot responded: 60 mph!!! His helmet was a bicycle helmet that will provide zero impact protection to the face.