Bucks County roads are seeing more electric scooters, skateboards and minibikes, raising questions about their safety and legality, writes JD Mullane for the Bucks County Courier Times.
With the school year approaching, more micromobility vehicles are expected on the roads, and Bristol Mayor Ralph DiGuiseppe III has been warning residents about the dangers they pose.
“The thing that concerns me is kids riding these things through town and their lack of regard for just general safety,” he said. “They’re blowing through intersections, moving at 15 or 20 miles per hour on a scooter with no helmet.”
Falling at that speed could cause serious, potentially fatal head injuries
While Pennsylvania law is still evolving on micromobility vehicles, they must comply with federal motor vehicle safety laws. This means they need brakes, mirrors, turn signals and can keep pace with prevailing traffic.
Additionally, the Commonwealth considers them vehicles, so they must follow PennDOT rules and meet equipment and inspection standards.
In an online post, the Warrington Police Department emphasized that most electric scooters do not have the required equipment “to meet these registration and inspection requirements. This effectively makes them illegal to ride on Pennsylvania roads.”
Find out what local leaders and law enforcement are saying about the rise in e-bikes and similar micromobility vehicles in the Bucks County Courier Times.
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