Slapping an electric motor on a bicycle or scooter seemed like a good idea. After all, gas-powered engines on bikes are how motorcycles evolved.
Motorcycles, though, are licensed for streets and highways; you need a license to operate them, along with proof of insurance and state registration.
Not so much for the growing number of e-bikes and scooters plying Lake County roads and sidewalks.
Tragically, a 14-year-old boy was killed last week while riding an electric dirt bike near Wauconda High School, where he would have been a freshman next month. Authorities said the teen was crossing Main Street, crashed with an SUV, and was thrown from the bike.
Earlier this month, a 15-year-old girl was critically injured after the e-bike she and another 15-year-old girl were riding was involved in an accident with an SUV at Milwaukee Avenue and Winchester Road in Libertyville. Driving a car or motorcycle requires a driver’s license for those 16 years of age and older.
Currently, there are no state requirements for licensing or registration. In response to growing safety concerns over e-bikes and electric scooters, a number of Lake County towns have adopted regulations detailing usage of low-speed motor-driven vehicles in their communities, along with age and licensing requirements.
Highland Park did so last summer, banning the micromobility machines from city sidewalks, bike paths and other public properties such as parking lots and trails. Riders must be older than 16 years old, hold a valid driver’s license to operate an e-bike independently, and wear a helmet. Violators can face minimum fines of $100.
Last fall, the Libertyville Village Board banned the use of electric bicycles and electric scooters within the downtown and in village parks. Similar regulations for e-bikes and scooters have also been enacted in Deerfield and Lake Forest, among other area communities.
Who among us hasn’t seen a rogue rider on an e-scooter speeding along sidewalks in our towns? For pedestrians, the battery-powered conveyances, some of which can reach speeds upward of 30 mph, have become nuisances.
Certainly, e-bikes and scooters offer environmental transportation, convenience, and a cheap mode of getting around. They must be fun to operate. Yet, they also present risks.
Emergency rooms have seen an uptick in e-bike injuries, including leg and arm fractures and head traumas. A study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that between 2022 and 2024, there were some 213,000 emergency room visits by e-scooter riders and 124,000 emergency room visits by e-bike riders. The national data also shows 119 e-scooter deaths and 245 e-bike deaths over the same period.
Common causes of accidents related to e-bikes and scooters include inattention, inexperience, speed and loss of control. Roughly 13% of e-scooter crashes and 37.7% of e-bike crashes involve interaction with motor vehicles.
Law enforcement authorities for years have raised concerns about e-riders endangering pedestrians and themselves as lithium battery technology has allowed for the expansion of the quiet e-motos for recreation and commuting. A measure that passed the Illinois House and Senate in the spring targeting e-scooter and e-bike use on sidewalks across the state is awaiting the signature of Gov. JB Pritzker.
The statewide safety measure, backed by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, would prohibit riding electric vehicles, such as scooters and bikes, on sidewalks in Illinois. It also sets a statewide standard replacing a patchwork of local laws and measures regulating e-motos.
“It’s been a huge issue throughout Illinois, whether you live in Chicago, or the suburbs or even in rural areas,” Giannoulias noted. “They’re on our sidewalks, causing mayhem, scaring people, scaring families. And again, sidewalks are for pedestrians.”
The proposed law also includes age restrictions for riders based on the speed of the device. E-scooters and e-bikes now will be required to ride in bike lanes or on the street if there aren’t bike lanes. Of course, actively enforcing these new e-bike regulations falls to local police departments and adds to the duties of lawmen and women.
Due to the increased speeds, e-bikes make it possible to commute longer distances in shorter time. They can quickly achieve high speeds and are helpful for riders when pedaling up hills.
One way to make riding e-bikes and e-scooters safer is for riders, especially younger ones, to take safety courses. Such classes teaching traffic skills and how to operate e-motos are online and in-person.
Colleges and universities have seen an influx of e-motos, which are easy to use while traversing campuses. Indiana University offers an e-bike/e-scooter class at its Bloomington campus.
Maybe e-riders in Lake County can enroll in one of the online or in-person classes and learn not to become sidewalk pests.
Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor. sellenews@gmail.com. X @sellenews
