After the scooter accident off Sylvan Road North this week that sent a teen to the hospital in serious condition, several readers contacted “06880.”
Each described seeing — in some cases almost hitting, or watching someone else hit — scooter drivers.
Scooters are everywhere these days, including the very dangerous Post Road.
What are the laws?
Lieutenant Anthony Prezioso, of the Westport Police Department’s Patrol Division, tells “06880”:
“First, to be considered a scooter the device must not be able to exceed 20 miles per hour.
“Riders must be at least 15 years old. Those under 18 must wear a helmet.
“The law prohibits scooters being ridden on sidewalks, highways and expressways, as well as on streets with speed limits exceeding 20 miles an hour.
“A local ordinance could further dictate how and where these scooters are able to be ridden. We do not currently have such an ordinance on the books in Westport, and therefore are solely regulated by the state law.”
Enforcement is not always easy. In an “06880” story last fall about e-bikes, Prezioso noted that police do not want to make a dangerous situation worse.
Teenagers can panic, and try to flee. Officers must use their best judgment. Sometimes, they’ll simply follow the rider to his destination.
Prezioso adds: “As electric vehicle technology quickly evolves, it will continue to pose challenges to enforcement. It will likely also prompt legislators to better define the classifications of various types of electric bikes, scooters, motorcycle, etc.
“I believe the evolution of these laws will likely be a more city/town ordinance-based approach. We’ve seen the increased presence of electric scooters for rent in major metropolitan areas. In almost every case, the rules for their use are dictated by city ordinance.”
Meanwhile, Prezioso urges residents to attend an e-bike community forum (planned before the most recent accident).
The May 13 event (6:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium) will cover rules and regulations (for riders and motorists), street awareness, and tips and resources for all ages. A Q-and-A session will follow.
“Enforcement is not always easy”…Oookay. Can you tell us how many operators of these bikes/scooters have actually been ticketed or referred to juvenile court since let’s say last October?
Without doing any research, I would comfortably estimate that number to be between 0 and 0.
I’ve seen a few young boys on electric dirt bikes riding around Winslow dog park. They were not doing anything dangerous, but certainly with dogs roaming all over I thought this is a situation that may end badly for the boys or a dog.
As I commented regarding e-bikes, It would be useful if the WFD chimed in, in addition to the WPD, with best practices for storing/charging (and even originally selecting!) vehicles (small or large, reputable or sketchy) containing high capacity Li-ion battery packs. This holiday season, best to enjoy the warm glow of a fire from inside your house, not outside…
These irresponsible drivers will be hell on wheels once they start driver motor vehicles.
And when they do, they will be taking their cues from too many adults in town.
The weekly police arrest log shows ages of those who receive tickets. In the nearly 100 citations given in the past 2 weeks for driving while texting, not one was to a teenager. Only a couple were to people in their 20s. The most-ticketed age group was 40-49. Some were in their 70s.
I get it- but as someone who drives through town road most of the day, I see what appears to be teenage boys speeding, running stop signs, etc. Having been one myself, some of the high school boys I knew were so irresponsible behind the wheel. Certainly, plenty of non teenagers do the same. There is no age limit for bad drivers! I get nervous when I see these bikes on the Post road…riding around town as if this were an amusement park.
Susan, this post declares that you were a teen aged boy, when you meant to include yourself only as a teenager.
Just sayin’.
Dan, please tell me where I can find that breakdown. of the police arrest log with ages etc…thanks
“The law prohibits scooters being ridden on sidewalks, highways and expressways, as well as on streets with speed limits exceeding 20 miles an hour.”
If I’m interpreting this correctly, it means that e-scooters are essentially limited to private roads as I can’t think of any streets with speed limits 20MPH or less. So that precludes bike lanes as well?
I spend time in Florida and you can imagine how many E bikes are ridden here.Their ridden everywhere and anywhere! The amount of recklessness and stupidity I see everyday is staggering. Accidents on these too fast bikes are usually very serious. Westport needs to quickly have laws that can be enforced or more critical, deaths will happen.