The John Champe High School administration sent a message to parents and students in the Knightly Newsletter on Nov. 14th, 2024, about Electric Bikes and how they’ve become a more prevalent form of transportation around the community. Stemming off of the Electric Scooter craze, more students seem to be ditching regular bikes and are opting to use electric bicycles, as they’re faster and require less effort to propel. Even though these bikes can be a bit more expensive than your average bike, riders around the community seem to love them and can even be found riding in groups together. However, these bikes can be dangerous if not operated properly and can pose a threat to other pedestrians and vehicles.
“We have observed students riding e-bikes at high speeds and in an unpredictable manner around the campus, creating significant safety risks for themselves and others,” the administration said. “This behavior not only endangers the riders, but also puts them at risk of being struck by vehicles, especially during busy drop-off and pick-up times when traffic is heavy.”
The administration is also asking riders to make sure they wear proper safety equipment when operating these bikes. As some of these bikes can reach speeds of more than 25 mph (the residential speed limit in Virginia) accidents involving these bikes can be critical or sometimes even fatal to the rider. Many riders use these bikes on public roads but do not behave like cars and disregard traffic laws. When this happens, the chance of a collision increases exponentially. Close calls and a few accidents have already happened with these electric bikes and scooters, so the use of a helmet is important, and driving erratically on public roads is heavily discouraged.
