WINOOSKI, Vt. (WCAX) – School district and police officials in Winooski are increasingly concerned about the safety and legality of electric bikes many students are now riding to school.
The school district wants parents and kids to know the differences between e-bikes, e-scooters and e-motos.
“They’re so new and I think a lot of families are buying them and not realizing how fast they go,” Winooski School Safety Coordinator Craig Dwyer said.
The district partnered with the police department to promote safety and educate parents on what they’re buying.
For e-bikes, classes 1 and 2 are legal for kids under 16 with a maximum speed of 20 mph.
Class 3 bikes can go almost 30 mph and are legal for kids over 16.
E-scooters have two wheels and are typically used for short distances. Both e-bikes and scooters are allowed on roads, bike paths, sidewalks and trails where specified.
An e-moto is illegal for kids under 16. It has pegs instead of pedals, is used for roads only and is banned on sidewalks and trails.
The rider of an e-moto with 1,000 watts or more must have a valid motorcycle license.
The district allows these types of vehicles on campus as long as they’re legal, licensed and put in the right place outside.
“It is becoming more common for people to have e-bikes, but we’re also going to communicate this year that the bikes are not allowed in the building to be charged or for any other reason,” Dwyer said.
Winooski Police Lieutenant Tom Cardin says the department saw an uptick of kids riding e-motos at the start of the summer, and wants to focus on educating parents and kids about the law before beginning enforcement.
“You don’t really want to come down on a 14-year-old kid who’s riding a bike. We’d rather educate the community on what is safe, what is legal and what is not,” Cardin said.
Lieutenant Cardin said he has had run-ins with kids on e-motos, but has given nothing more than a warning so far.
“It’s not any different than a traffic stop. It’s the officer’s discretion if they want to write a ticket or give a warning. In most cases, I like to give the warning to educate and if I catch you again, you’ll have to deal with the consequences,” Cardin said.
Towns across the region have different policies on e-motos, with some even considering bans. Check with your town about the rules of the road.
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