ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The rise in electric bikes, scooters and mopeds has a Horizon West resident asking if students should have mandatory safety training.

What You Need To Know

  • Linda Sibley is concerned about getting hit by an e-bike or moped while running

  • Sibley started a petition to require e-bike training for students and their parents

  • Orange County, Orange County Public Schools and Bike/Walk Central Florida are trying to address emerging transportation options

  • A safety expo is set for April 19 at Horizon High School

Linda Sibley loves to run on the sidewalks and trails in her neighborhood, but she has noticed an alarming trend over the past few years.

“It’s frightening for me to visualize the possibility that I actually could be running up this sidewalk, minding my own business, and actually get struck by one of those vehicles,” she said.

Sibley said the e-bikes and e-scooters are silent, fast, and many are operated by children who aren’t wearing helmets.

“I believe that we have to come up with a solution so that these kids are actually trained on how to drive these vehicles to school safely and not actually endanger anybody else that’s on the sidewalk at the same time,” she said.

Those on motorized bikes and scooters, like all bike riders under the age of 16, are required by Florida law to wear helmets.

But a study published last year from JAMA Surgery found only 44% of injured e-bike users wore helmets.

Sibley has started an online petition, urging Orange County and Orange County Public Schools to require e-bike and moped safety training for all students and their parents.

“The students have to actually pass this program as well as their parents before they’re authorized to actually drive a vehicle to school,” Sibley said.

While mandatory training for students and their parents isn’t being discussed right now, local leaders are trying to tackle this growing safety concern for children.

Just a couple weeks ago, Orange County Traffic Engineering Division met with the Student/Pedestrian Safety Committee at Orange County Public Schools on safety programs regarding e-bikes and e-scooters.

Bike/Walk Central Florida is developing a new safety curriculum it is piloting at select middle schools in Orange County.

“We are focusing on middle schools because this age group is rapidly adopting these devices yet lacks access to formal transportation safety education,” said Anna Strasshofer, events manager at Bike/Walk Central Florida. “The curriculum covers general bike safety, helmet use and guidance on riding scooters and e-bikes safely.”

In addition, the organization is assessing current curriculum to see if it can be updated with emerging transportation options like e-bikes and e-scooters.

Sibley is helping organize a new safety expo for Orange County’s District 1 on Saturday, April 19, at Horizon High School. Hosted by District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson, the event is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“My hope is that everybody can safely use the trails period,” Sibley said. “That anybody, anytime a day, can know that they can go out there and not have to worry about getting struck from behind by a vehicle that’s being driven by someone who really doesn’t even know how to drive it properly.”

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