ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. \u2013 With increasing injuries and deaths being reported, e-bike safety has been a major topic of discussion for people across the News4JAX viewing area for more than a year.<\/p>\n
Wolfson Children\u2019s Hospital in Jacksonville said it treated 19 people for e-bike-related injuries in January 2026. The hospital had 115 injuries in 2025 and only three for all of 2022.<\/p>\n
Residents and city leaders met at a town hall to talk about growing concerns over e-bike safety in the beach community. City officials said they will use feedback from the meeting to guide next steps and to align policies where possible with neighboring St. Johns County and the city of St. Augustine.<\/p>\n
City officials and residents described frightening near-misses and traffic conflicts involving e-bikes on sidewalks, beach roads and crosswalks. Many people at the meeting urged clearer rules and stronger enforcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were surprised from behind by two young girls on one bike with no helmets and no shoes on. And I was hit from behind without a warning,\u201d said Christine Danner, who said she was struck by an e-bike last year.<\/p>\n
Danner told the meeting she sees e-bikes daily, often operating on sidewalks and not obeying traffic rules. <\/p>\n
\u201cI see them every day. Just like all the people in the meeting have stated up and down the sidewalks, the beach roads, not obeying rules of the road. I just feel like yes I understand that they want to be in agreement with all of the municipalities but I also feel like as a beach community we can also take charge of our own community and say this is what we\u2019re going to allow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Police Chief Daniel Carswell said e-bikes can be a positive transportation option when operated properly but create hazards when riders do not follow basic traffic rules. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think they\u2019re great if they\u2019re used properly and someone knows how to operate it,\u201d Carswell said. \u201cWhen they\u2019re not operating in the right manner, it can cause a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to a city ordinance and amended laws, operators of e-bikes, e-scooters or any electric motorized device cannot be careless while riding on the beach.<\/p>\n
Weaving around pedestrians recklessly and speeding are prohibited. They must yield to pedestrians, and no one can ride on the handlebars.<\/p>\n
On the roadways, riders younger than 16 years old must wear a helmet.<\/p>\n
E-bikes must have a fixed white light in the front and a red light on the back.<\/p>\n
They also have to yield to pedestrians on sidewalks.<\/p>\n
Violations include the possibility of a $53 citation.<\/p>\n
Because of the number of serious e-bike crashes in St. Johns County last year, the sheriff\u2019s office partnered with the school district to launch mandatory e-bike safety classes for all middle school students.<\/p>\n