Kids, Motorized Bikes, Skateboards, & Scooters

The freedom, the wind in their hair, rolling down hill faster than ever. Such exhilaration for kids! They love it and want to wheel everywhere with their friends. There are, however, limitations in the name of laws that govern each type of wheeled device. It is critical that kids understand what the laws are and their parents must understand also. 

These conversations are a result of parents, nurses, and physicians in an emergency room at a local children's hospital. Every day, they see children brought in with critical injuries, the most concerning are injuries to the head - because children weren't wearing a helmet. 

In the 4S Ranch/Del Sur area, children race up and down streets and sidewalks on motorized bikes. Sometimes, they wear helmets, but they are often hauling some of their young friends who are not wearing helmets. 

For any wheeled traffic, kids and their parents must be aware and discuss that pedestrians have the right of way - every time.  The person operating wheeled device must give way to pedestrians, but many seem to ignore people on a sidewalk or even in a crosswalk.

In a recent incident, a woman was walking on the the sidewalk at Del Sur community park and saw a bike coming toward her. She stepped to the side to avoid the bike, but the rider tried to avoid her in the same direction. The collision resulted in the woman being knocked to the ground and serious injury. She should have had free passage. The biker should have been riding slow enough to stop in time.

Wheeled traffic can feel similarly threatened if they ride in the street.  In 4S Ranch/Del Sur, cars regularly exceed the reasonable speed limit as set by law, and many more create potential dangerous situations by not stopping at stop signs and occasionally at a red light. Some of the "hot spots" for running stop signs are in front or beside schools. 

Protect the children! Make sure they have helmets, especially if they are under 18 years old and that they follow laws designed to protect them.

Laws applying to bicycles (any kind) generally apply also to scooters and skateboards. Please review laws and guidelines in the link below:

Bikes laws

Be safe!