MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — In recent days, WPTV reported on two fatalities involving children under 16 dying as a result of motorized vehicle crashes.
WPTV went to some local lawmakers to see if new laws need to be put in place regarding them.
Bryson Huckstep said once you’ve ridden an e-bike or any other motorized vehicle, it’s hard to go back.
“I can cover more distance. If I’m super exhausted, there’s less chance of an injury because I can get that pedal assist," Huckstep said.
The older of his two kids is now riding an e-bike at 14, but only with the proper safety gear.
“If you have a bad rider, they’re going to be dangerous and they’re going to hurt themselves if they don’t wear a helmet whether you’re riding an e-bike or an analog bike," Huckstep said.
State Rep. Toby Overdorf, R-Palm City, said legislators have passed some vehicle safety measures recently in Tallahassee.
"We require golf carts to be driven by a person with a license so no longer can children drive those," Overdorf said.
Overdorf was among those who voted for a bill last session that would have allowed communities to write their own age restrictions on e-bikes and scooters.
It was sponsored by a lawmaker in Key Biscayne after an e-bike collision killed a woman there.
The measure failed to get out of the Senate.
“Really something that is a mechanically driven device and as a result I think it is something that should be done by a licensed operator," Overdorf said.
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WPTV reported several tragedies in recent days and weeks about young people on dirt bikes or mini bikes.
On Friday, a 14-year-old boy riding a mini bike died in a crash in Fort Pierce and an 11-year-old boy died after a crash involving a dirt bike in a neighborhood near Palm City. The previous week, a Jupiter middle school student was hospitalized at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm after his family said he was involved in a crash while riding an electric bike.
State law now says no one under 16 can legally operate many of these two- or three-wheeled vehicles on the road.
But trails and off-road is a different story. There’s no age limit for off-highway vehicles with only a helmet requirement for those under 16.
State Rep. John Snyder, R-Stuart, said as he gets details on these latest crashes, his office will be tracking them closely.
“Because anytime there’s a tragedy like this you have to look at it and say, ‘how can we put things in place so it can prevent things like this from happening in the future,' " Snyder said.
As for Huckstep, he’s not sure if a new law is the right step.
"I'm personally more a fan of self-governance," he said. "If people are stupid, they’re going to break any kind of rules and any kind of laws."