![1.4 Bike Safety Downtown Intersection](https://ocnjdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1.4-Bike-Safety-Downtown-Intersection-640x427.jpg)
By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Ocean City’s police chief is urging dad and mom to maintain their children below management amid a rise in juveniles “recklessly” driving their electrical bikes and common bicycles by way of city, together with two crashes in current weeks.
In a letter despatched Friday to dad and mom and college students within the Ocean City School District, Chief Jay Prettyman confused that police will hand out tickets to juveniles who pace on their bikes or violate different site visitors legal guidelines.
Depending on the age of their youngsters, the dad and mom could also be liable for the tickets and in addition may very well be held responsible for property harm or accidents that happen in bike crashes, Prettyman stated in an interview.
“Over the last few weeks, many members of the Ocean City Police Department have observed several juveniles operating electric bicycles (E-bikes) recklessly throughout town,” he wrote within the letter. “The riders have been ignoring traffic signals and violating many New Jersey State Motor Vehicle Statutes. I myself have witnessed a couple extremely dangerous situations, which has caused me to become increasingly concerned about the rider’s safety.”
One boy was injured and brought to the hospital after he ran a site visitors gentle on his e-bike and was struck by a automotive Wednesday on the intersection of forty eighth Street and West Avenue. Fortunately, his accidents weren’t extreme, Prettyman stated.
In one other accident, a boy misplaced management of the e-bike he was driving and rammed into some parked vehicles on the 1700 block of Simpson Avenue a few weeks in the past. He was not severely injured.
Both of these accidents underscore the hazard of juveniles dashing by way of city and violating different site visitors legal guidelines whereas driving their bikes, Prettyman stated.
“In an effort to curtail the incredibly unsafe operation of E-bikes I would like to send out a safety warning to those who ride E-Bikes and/or bicycles throughout town. As I mentioned earlier, many juveniles have been observed riding E-bikes/bicycles throughout town as they disregard traffic laws and causing an unsafe condition for themselves and other motorists,” Prettyman stated within the letter.
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At the identical time, Prettyman is asking for the cooperation of fogeys to maintain their youngsters below management and assist forestall tragedies from occurring on native roads.
“We have already had two accidents that could have been devastating to our community,” Prettyman wrote.
He continued, “This notification will serve as your warning. If your child/dependent is observed violating any New Jersey Motor Vehicle Statute and/or operating an E-bike/bicycle recklessly, summonses will be issued to you and/or your child.”
“I hate to send a letter that is so forceful, but I believe this situation is dire and I am extremely worried about the safety of these operators,” he concluded.
Prettyman additionally confused in an interview that police are severe about handing out site visitors tickets to bikers.
“Our officers are noticing more and more violations and will be aggressive in enforcing the law,” he stated.
Bikers 15 years outdated and older can be sufficiently old to obtain tickets. Those who’re youthful could also be taken to police headquarters and would have to wait for his or her dad and mom to decide them up – a course of often called a “stationhouse adjustment,” Prettyman defined.
According to a metropolis ordinance, it’s the duty of fogeys “to govern their children’s actions” when they’re 15 years outdated or youthful. Prettyman cited the wording of the ordinance in his letter to dad and mom and native college students.
When they’re driving on the highway, bikers are required to comply with the identical legal guidelines as motorized vehicle site visitors. However, police have been seeing extra site visitors violations in current weeks involving younger bikers driving round city, Prettyman stated.
“It’s definitely a problem that needs to be addressed,” he stated. “Kids need to wear a helmet and they need to obey all of the traffic laws.”
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Electric bikes, or e-bikes, have gotten extra of a priority due to the speeds they’re able to touring – with some able to hitting 45 mph or extra. E-bikes have a battery-powered motor to propel them to larger speeds.
E-bikes have been rising in recognition through the pandemic and are considered an environmentally pleasant type of transportation. They are actually a typical sight on native streets and on the Ocean City Boardwalk.
Monica Saffri, who lives in Southampton, Pa., and has a trip condominium in Ocean City, was driving her e-bike on the Boardwalk on Friday.
Saffri stated she will be able to not journey an everyday bike as a result of her knee locks up when she pedals. She additionally famous that an e-bike permits her to take pleasure in longer rides than what she was used to taking up an everyday bike.
Her e-bike has its prime pace capped at 20 mph. Saffri stated riders ought to all the time take heed to their pace when they’re on their bikes.
“It’s not a speed issue if you’re respectful. You always have to be respectful,” she stated.