\u2018This starts in your homes\u2019: E-bike safety concerns take center stage at St. Johns County town hall<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cIf I had a child that wanted an e-bike, I\u2019d recommend getting a bike that definitely does not go faster than 20 miles an hour,\u201d he said. \u201cAn e-bike that goes as fast as a bike can be just as safe as a regular bike.\u201d<\/p>\n
For higher-speed models that resemble small motorcycles, he said families should ensure a child is capable of handling the bike and avoid riding on busy roads whenever possible.<\/p>\n
When asked what advice he would give parents, McIntosh emphasized three key points: safety education, visibility and awareness.<\/p>\n
First, he said, children should understand their limits and ride within their skill level, constantly scanning their surroundings. Second, bikes should be equipped with plenty of lights. Third, riders should wear bright or reflective clothing so drivers can see them \u2014 especially at night. Helmets, he added, should be worn at all times.<\/p>\n
St. Johns County commissioners have discussed whether to adopt stricter local rules, including possible age requirements. But Commission Chair Clay Murphy said the county is waiting to see how state legislation unfolds before considering additional ordinances.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnytime there\u2019s a tragedy like that, it\u2019s incumbent upon us as county leaders to take a hard look at causation and then to really study and see what we can do to help,\u201d Murphy said.<\/p>\n
Murphy noted that last year the county partnered with the Sheriff\u2019s Office to bring e-bike safety lessons into local schools. He described that outreach as a first step while lawmakers in Tallahassee consider potential changes, including a proposal that would require learner\u2019s permits for certain bikes and riders.<\/p>\n
County leaders say they will evaluate whether local action is needed once state lawmakers finalize any new requirements.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 Electric bikes are becoming a common sight on neighborhood streets and school routes…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":162705,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1170,116,118,117],"class_list":["post-162704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-jacksonville","tag-e-bike-safety","tag-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville-headlines","tag-jacksonville-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=162704"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162704\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/162705"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=162704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=162704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=162704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}