The Clarendon Hills Police Department is taking a proactive approach to improve safety in the village as the popularity of e-bikes has increased significantly.
“E-bikes are popular with kids who can’t drive yet, because they’re not old enough, and the use of these e-bikes is more prevalent in this area,” Clarendon Hills police Chief Ed Leinweber said. “It’s a point of concern because kids are out riding, but not following the rules of the road. They can be dangerous, and we’ve had a lot of complaints from residents and businesses.”
Leinweber said the police department has been working with local schools on an e-bike education campaign. In addition, signs have been installed in the downtown area, and the village’s bicycle ordinance has been updated to include e-bikes.
“We’re trying to educate parents and kids about the rules of the road for bicycle safety and e-bikes,” Leinweber said. “We’ve had situations where kids on e-bikes don’t stop at stop signs, and vehicles don’t see them. On a regular bicycle, it takes a little bit of time to get moving from a dead stop, but with the e-bikes, they can get going faster, quicker.”
Leinweber said it’s important that parents and guardians are aware of the responsibility they have when their children are riding any type of bike, or even walking, near highways and streets.
“These responsibilities range from selecting the proper equipment for the child to teaching the child bicycle and pedestrian traffic laws,” he said.
The police department put a flier together with information and rules about riding e-bikes. That flier is available online on the department’s bike safety page at www.clarendonhills.us/492/Bike-Safety. In addition, police department personnel are passing out business cards with a QR Code to view the information.
Bicycles, scooters, and other devices, whether electric or human powered, must be dismounted and walked on the sidewalk in the village’s downtown and business district.
Devices that exceed 750 watts, or do not qualify as an e-bike or scooter, as defined in Illinois vehicle code, are prohibited.
“Not all manufacturers provide this information easily,” Leinweber said, adding that devices should be checked before purchase. “Just because you can buy it, doesn’t make it legal,” he said.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
