PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A deadly mini-bike crash that claimed the life of a 16-year-old over the weekend has prompted an impassioned plea from Riviera Beach Police Chief Michael Coleman for community-wide action to address the growing dangers of motorized bikes.
"We need a lot of help throughout the community, lot of educations, schools, parent, churches, to let people know that this is a dangerous situation that we're in," Coleman said.
WATCH: Proposed e-bike legislation would put more safeguards in place
Douglas Lundy, 16, was riding a mini-bike illegally on the street when he crashed this week in Riviera Beach. The tragedy has renewed focus on efforts across multiple cities and counties to crack down on motorized bikes.
"He didn't even get to live his full life out," said Tranyla Price, a family member.
Now lawmakers in Tallahassee are working on House Bill 243, which would add more safeguards for riders if passed. The legislation is expected to be discussed in January and would go into effect in 2027 if approved.
Proposed legislation targets modified bikes
The bill would ban modifying bikes to go faster than intended. Any bike going more than 28 mph or having a motor of at least 750 watts would be treated as an "electric motorcycle" — the type Lundy was riding.
Under the proposed law, such bikes would need to be registered, riders would need a driver's license, and the vehicles could not be used on sidewalks or bike lanes.
The state would also add motorized bikes into crash reports, and the crash dashboard would include all motorized bikes.
Riviera Beach
'SWEETEST PERSON': Teen killed in mini-bike crash remembered at vigil
"You try to stop someone on these e-bikes or mini bikes, they don't stop," Coleman said. "I hope the legislators in Tallahassee come up with a better law with teeth for us as law enforcement, to address this. From a local standpoint, it's a serious issue that we all have to deal with."
E-bike sales booming despite safety concerns
Despite the safety concerns, e-bike sales continue to boom. Tony Barbanent, owner of West Palm Bikes, said the vehicles offer a fast and affordable way to get around.
"E-bikes are like the number one selling bike," Barbanent said. "They are gaining popularity year over year."
Barbanent has even teamed up with the city of West Palm Beach to make sure more people can have access to the bikes through a voucher program.
"Basically, you can come in with your voucher and claim your bike," Barbanent said.
Palm Beach
E-bikes and scooters now off limits on sidewalks here
However, Barbanent said his shop never touches bikes that have been modified. Regarding online sellers, where he says the majority of the modified bikes come from: "A lot of the bikes that kids are appealing to are not sold at many dealerships, because, again, they don't really follow the laws. And also, they're in a gray area of classification."
He adds there needs to be more accountability: "You don't want to sell something that is potentially dangerous, and you don't want to be in the middle of any liability."
E-bike voucher program
When used correctly, e-bikes can be extremely beneficial, especially for commuters.
The city of West Palm Beach voucher program that West Palm Bikes is a part of, "helps downtown employees and residents lower commuting costs, reduce traffic, and ride in a cleaner, more affordable way. Vouchers are applied directly at checkout and come with a free helmet and bike lock."
You can apply for a voucher here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
