JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – This week’s question from one of our viewers is about e-bikes and e-scooters.
Crystal emailed us complaining that she was almost hit by a group of four kids who were riding e-bikes and e-scooters as she walked out of a grocery store in Rivertown in St. Johns County.
She asked:
“Aren’t the grocery stores supposed to have signs on the columns about no bikes, etc. on the sidewalk?”
She also asked about liability. If a rider causes an accident, can they be held responsible?
We took her questions to St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick.
The answer to Crystal’s first question is: No. Grocery stores are not required to post signs prohibiting e-bikes or e-scooters on their sidewalks.
A grocery store, as a private business, can choose to prohibit their use or not, but no state statute requires it because state law about e-bikes and e-scooters does not dictate what is allowed on private property.
“There’s a difference between private and public property; they’re separate,” explained Sheriff Hardwick.
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In addition, e-bikes and e-scooters are allowed under state statute to ride on public sidewalks.
“They are the same as bicycles,” said Sheriff Hardwick.
The sheriff explained that both have to follow the same rules as bicyclists, which means e-bike and e-scooter riders have to yield to pedestrians on sidewalks, must stop at all stop signs, adhere to traffic lights and cannot travel on a sidewalk more than two, side-by-side.
Any riders under the age of 16 are also required to wear a helmet. If not, they can be ticketed. Hardwick said the violation costs $64.
Sheriff Hardwick is working with local state representatives to change the current bicycle law to create different rules for e-bikes during the next legislative session, which starts in January.
There are three classifications of e-bikes:
Class 1: pedal assist with an electric motor not to exceed 750 watts, does not exceed 20 mph
Class 2: pedal assist with a throttle, not to exceed 20 mph
Class 3: motor that assists the rider, not to exceed 28 mph
Modifications can make e-bikes dangerous for teenagers:
Some Class 2 e-bikes can be unlocked or adjusted through software settings, making them faster than the law allows.
Remember, if the e-bike exceeds 20 mph, it is considered an e-moto and is illegal if the rider does not have a driver’s license and if the e-bike is not registered.
Some riders also remove the chain, but e-bikes must have working pedals to be legal.
Without a chain, the bike is reclassified as a moped or motorcycle, often illegal on the road.
Hub-drive e-bikes must include a safety interlock switch that cuts motor power when brakes are applied.
Teens sometimes replace the levers with high-end bike components that don’t include this switch. Without it, the bike may not stop in time or at all.
“Can an e-bike or e-scooter rider be held accountable for causing an accident?”
“Yes,” said Sheriff Hardwick.
He explained that recently, a pregnant woman was walking outside a St. Johns County school and was hit by an e-bike rider.
“We worked that just like a traffic crash,” he explained so, just because you are not in a car, does not mean e-bike and e-scooter riders will not be tickets or held accountable if they cause an accident.
To learn more about the rules and modification dangers to e-bikes, scooters and other e-devices, click here.