Kids' close call on e-moto in Champlin renews conversation about safety
Two kids were just feet away from a life-altering crash while riding on an e-moto. It happened along Highway 169 where it intersects with 114th Avenue.
The close call was caught on a police officer's dashboard camera. The footage shows the kids in the far-right lane heading north on Highway 169. When they reach the intersection, the e-moto driver slows and turns left, driving directly across the northbound traffic that still has a green light. A white pickup truck swerves to avoid them while another pickup truck comes to a full stop.
Chief Glen Schneider said the officer was about to pull the kids over onto the shoulder before their sudden turn.
"That could have been a tragedy that this community would now be shaken with. It's horrible," he said.
The incident happened on Tuesday around 8 a.m., right during rush hour. The speed limit in the area is 55 miles per hour. For a car to come to a complete stop at that speed, the driver would need several hundred feet and a few seconds to react and hit the brakes, according to the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
Schneider said the officer on scene guided the kids across the highway to a safe spot before calling their parents to pick them up, then educate everyone about the rules of the road. He said raising awareness is a top priority.
"I am grateful that an officer was there that observed this, and that we could bring this to attention to the Champlin community and public as a whole. It's a great reminder to be vigilant, to speak with your kids, to speak to each other about safety," said Schneider.
Several cities across Minnesota are enacting laws for e-bikes and their much faster counterpart, e-motos, which operate more like a motorcycle than a bicycle.
Some are requiring e-moto drivers to have a license, registration and insurance to use them on public roads. Otherwise, they can only be driven on private property.
Champlin has an ordinance requiring e-bike riders to wear a helmet if they're under 18 years old. The city doesn't have a specific ordinance for e-motos, but it has a law for motorized dirt bikes that only allows them on private property.
"This year it seems like everybody's driving them, whether it's an electric-assist bike or an e-moto, and it's getting that information to parents about the dangers behind these, the city ordinances, and state statutes that cover them," said Schneider.
State statute requires e-bike riders to be at least 15 years old and follow the same rules as traditional bicycle riders. There is no state statute for e-motos.
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill this spring to create one, but it failed in the House.
Some cities that have enacted ordinances for e-motos mirrored state laws pertaining to motorcycles. For example, St. Paul and New Brighton put in their infographic, "If your bike exceeds 1500 watts or 30mph, then it's classified as a motorcycle, and you must follow state statute 169.974."
