Once upon a time, learning to ride a bike was a slow but valuable process—one that required patience, balance, and awareness of the surrounding environment. However, in today’s fast-paced world, the rise of electric bikes, or e-bikes, and motorized scooters has changed that experience entirely. These vehicles, designed for convenience, have introduced new risks threatening riders and pedestrians. As their popularity grows, so do safety, responsibility, and regulation concerns. On January 9, the Chino Hills City Council enforced a new ban that forces e-bikes and motorized scooters off the sidewalks, leaving the community satisfied.

A Rising Safety Concern
E-bikes and motorized scooters have rapidly become a common mode of transportation for students and young riders. Many use them to travel to school, visit friends, or simply enjoy the adrenaline rush. However, as their usage increases, so do reports from concerned community members. There have been numerous complaints, particularly regarding younger riders, about reckless riding, excessive speeding, and near-miss collisions. What was once a safe and predictable environment has turned into a chaotic and dangerous landscape.

It has become almost impossible to walk through a parking lot or down a crowded sidewalk without dodging some form of incoming traffic. Riders zip past pedestrians, barely looking up from their phones, headphones in, weaving through the crowd like it’s no big deal. At times, pedestrians are forced to jump out of the way, step into the street, or completely leave the sidewalk, leading to frequent near-misses.

The worst part? They don’t seem to care. E-bikes and motorized scooters have made it far too easy for young riders to hit high speeds without any real understanding of road safety. The average e-bike’s speed ranges from 20 to 28 miles per hour (mph), while a motorized scooter averages 20 mph. Though this may not seem fast on the street, it’s an entirely different story on a sidewalk. Unlike cars or skateboards that require skill and control, e-bikes offer an instant pass to recklessness.

Were Riders Ready for the Responsibility?
One of the biggest problems is that the majority of e-bike and motorized scooter riders are teenagers who simply aren’t ready for the responsibility that comes with operating a high-speed vehicle. Unlike drivers, they don’t take safety courses. They don’t follow traffic laws or seem to understand the basic rules of the road. Instead, they treat these vehicles like toys—cutting off pedestrians, ignoring stop signs, and riding at dangerous speeds, all while assuming that nothing bad will happen.

I get it—e-bikes and scooters are fun. They’re an easy way to get around, and I’m sure they’re exciting to ride. But that doesn’t mean they belong in school zones, on sidewalks, or anywhere that puts pedestrians at risk. If young riders aren’t mature enough to handle them safely, should they really be allowed to ride them so freely?

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It’s clear that something needs to change. If riders want to use e-bikes and scooters, they should be required to follow actual safety guidelines—bike lanes instead of sidewalks, speed limits, and maybe even mandatory safety training. If that sounds too restrictive, then maybe these vehicles aren’t as necessary as people think they are.

At the end of the day, the goal isn’t to ban these vehicles entirely but to ensure they aren’t putting others in danger. A student walking home from school shouldn’t have to be on constant high alert just to avoid getting run over. With the new guidelines, these vehicles will no longer pose a threat but instead serve as a benefit.