Two juveniles were transported to the hospital following a crash involving a high-speed electric stand-up scooter and a vehicle at the Ohlone Greenway and Potrero Avenue. The El Cerrito Police Department is urging parents and guardians to understand the capabilities and legal requirements of the scooters, electric bicycles, and electric motorcycles their children ride.
The two juveniles were riding together on a scooter the manufacturer states is capable of reaching approximately 43 mph. Witnesses reported that they were traveling at a high rate of speed on the Ohlone Greenway as they approached Potrero Avenue. The operator of the scooter failed to stop at the stop sign on the Ohlone Greenway and entered the roadway directly into the path of an approaching vehicle. Although the driver attempted to stop, the vehicle collided with the scooter and both riders.
Neither juvenile was wearing a helmet, and neither had a driver’s license. Paramedics transported both juveniles to the hospital.
Preliminary information indicates that the scooter operator’s failure to stop at the stop sign was a primary factor in the crash. The speed of the scooter is an associated factor in the crash. The incident also involved underage operation of a scooter the juveniles were not legally permitted to operate.
Parents and guardians: Please do not wait for a collision to find out what your child is riding.
A device sold as an “e-bike” or “scooter” may have capabilities and legal requirements very different from what a parent expects. Its appearance, product name, or availability for purchase does not establish that a child may legally operate it on public streets or pathways.
Before allowing your child to ride, please:
- Identify the device. Know its make, model, maximum speed, and whether it legally qualifies as an electric bicycle, motorized scooter, moped, or motorcycle.
- Verify that your child may legally operate it. Check applicable age, driver’s license or permit, helmet, registration, and insurance requirements.
- Confirm where it may be ridden. Do not assume that a device is permitted on a roadway, sidewalk, bicycle path, or the Ohlone Greenway simply because it is electric.
- Set clear safety expectations. Require a properly fitted and fastened helmet, compliance with stop signs and traffic laws, and safe speeds around pedestrians and other riders.
- Prevent unauthorized use. If your child cannot legally operate the device, take steps to keep them from riding it.
For motorized scooters, California law requires a valid driver’s license or instruction permit, prohibits carrying passengers, requires helmets for operators under 18, and limits operation to a maximum of 15 mph. A scooter’s ability to travel faster does not make that speed legal.
This month, the El Cerrito Police Department began a focused enforcement campaign addressing unlawful electric motorcycle use on streets, sidewalks, and pathways. We are expanding that effort to include unlawful underage operation of powerful motorized scooters.
Our goal is to prevent another collision and protect everyone who uses our streets and shared pathways. Enforcement is one part of that effort. Parental involvement is essential.
Please take time today to inspect your child’s device, verify the rules, and discuss safe riding. If your child cannot operate it legally and safely, do not allow them to ride it.
