Marco Island is a relatively small place where everything is just a few miles away. Whether it is the beach or our local grocery store, nothing is ever too far. This allows for less use of cars and more use of the old-fashioned way to get around – bikes.
However, the old-fashioned way is not so old-fashioned anymore. This has led to the creation of electric-powered bikes known as “E-bikes”. This new style of transportation utilizes electric motors to propel the rider with less effort than standard pedaling. With a large variety of different designs and capabilities, e-bikes took the market by storm, overall dominating the micro-mobility market compared to standard bikes and scooters.
The increased usage of e-bikes has allowed residents to commute to work faster without traffic and has allowed students to ride to school faster without a parent or guardian having to drive them. E-bikes are capable of reaching high speeds relatively quickly and are often ridden on sidewalks, sharing the same paths as pedestrians.
In the market, there are three classes of e-bikes. Class one allows the rider to reach speeds up to 20 miles per hour with only pedal assistance. Class two can reach 20 miles per hour, but the bike has a throttle that controls the motor. Class three has a throttle for the rider and can achieve up to 28 miles per hour. Additionally, all classes of e-bikes are equipped with speed limiters. Speed limiters are devices that control the speed capabilities of the bike. However, there are ways to bypass this limitation. The American College of Surgeons explains how there are a variety of methods and devices being marketed to remove the speed restrictions with the use of “Tuning kits” that can deactivate the speed limiter, turning a lawful e-bike into a non-street legal motorcycle or moped.”
With the ability to reach such high speeds, the question of safety arises. E-bike injuries can result in a variety of injuries, such as broken bones, head or brain trauma, and other life-threatening injuries. There has been an increase in bike accidents on the island with children. The issue of minors on e-bikes has been a growing debate around the island due to their lack of safety when riding and carelessness when it comes to obeying the laws on the island.
Dr. Schlechter from the Children’s Hospital of Orange County states that e-bike injuries most often result in shattered kneecaps due to the high-velocity impacts from e-bike accidents. Dr. Schlechter said, “We’re putting implants in children that I’ve never seen put on a 13-year-old knee.”
Such severe injuries highlight why many in the community, including city officials, have spoken out about the dangers of reckless e-bike use.
Our Manager of Parks and Recreation on Marco Island, Samantha Malloy, has witnessed teen riders on e-bikes daily around the island and shared her views on the matter of irresponsible e-bike riding. Samantha stated, “ E-bikes can be a fun and efficient way to get around, but like anything, safety should always come first.” Furthermore, Ms. Malloy expanded on her views of irresponsible and careless riders: “We’ve occasionally seen issues in the parks, such as more than one rider on a single bike, or bikes being used in ways that can damage fields or facilities.” She said, “ While I understand the appeal and fun of riding with friends, these situations can be risky for the riders and for others around them.”
Officer Paul Ashby, our local school police officer, touched on the matter of disregard for
safety among young riders, specifically regarding multiple riders on single-person bikes: “There is also the danger of riding tandem. Three kids were riding on a one-person bike, and the kid on the back of the bike hit his leg on the sidewalk bollard. His kneecap got spun around his leg, sending him straight to the hospital.” Mr. Ashby also spoke about his experience with young riders’ disregard for road regulations. He stated that on his way home from work, “One child on his e-bike without a helmet blew a stop sign in front of me and I almost hit him.”
Two years ago, Jayden Uriostegui, who was a freshman at the time, at Marco Island Academy, was involved in an e-bike accident on the island. Jayden stated, “I was on my way to my house [sic] and without knowing [sic] I thought I was cruising 20 [sic] but the bike was going 30mph on the sidewalk as I turned to look behind [sic] to cross into traffic and all of a sudden I turned back forward [sic] and was headed straight to a cemented pole wall [sic]. The collision made my head go against the cemented pole wall [sic] and I ended up falling as I also felt like my face was cut open [sic].”
A random by stander helped Jayden up while he contacted someone to help him. He received open wounds on his forehead, nose, and eyelid, and was rushed to the hospital by his parents. Jayden was required to stay in the hospital for two days. He stated, “the doctors said that I needed to be careful when doing things like eating, showering could hurt my injuries [sic] ”. Jayden was required to receive facial reconstruction surgery on his forehead, nose, and eyelids. In addition, Jayden said, “ I also developed a headache to where it felt like my head couldn’t move around.” Jayden said that even to this day, he continues to think about his accident constantly. He has learned a lot from the experience and understands how truly important safety is when riding an e-bike.
The City of Marco Island has established Ordinance 34-3 in order to reduce the use of high speeds on sidewalks and reduce the amount of bodily injuries among riders. The speed limit on sidewalks has been reduced to 12 miles per hour, with riders being required to yield to pedestrians and to give an audible signal when passing.
One potential solution to the matter could be the implementation of age restrictions on the three classes of e-bikes. This could provide an effective way to restrict the use of higher-speed e-bikes, such as class 3, for those of a younger age who have a higher chance of injuring themselves while riding.In addition, e-bike manufacturers can help reduce injuries by improving build quality and designing bikes that make it much harder for riders to disable speed limiters, ensuring safer riding.
The views of e-bikes on the island have always been conflicting; some see them as a valuable resource for transportation, while others see them as high-risk with disregard for others. E-bikes can provide great value to the community if used properly, leveraging the new ordinance set forth for the island.
