Hicksville schools ban e-bikes after underage accidents on Long Island

Hicksville is New York's first school district to ban e-bikes after alarming statistics revealed at least 12 people, mostly young Long Islanders, died on them in the past three years. 

The new directive from Hicksville Public Schools forbids e-bikes and e-scooters anywhere on school grounds, including parking lots, following a handful of incidents involving underage riders.

It was also mentioned at a recent school board meeting that students were illegally storing them on campus, creating safety hazards. 

Long Island underage e-bike riders killed and injured

New York state law says anyone 16 and under is banned from riding e-bikes. Anyone underage, speeding, not wearing a helmet and/or riding on a sidewalk are subject to arrest, it says. 

Still, in November, 14-year-old Jayden Flores was killed riding an e-bike to school in North Bellmore and, later that month, a 13-year-old was seriously injured riding home from school when he crashed into a deer in Islip. Police also clocked a youth on an e-bike racing 55 miles per hour, weaving on the road and refusing to stop. 

"It's important that for a parent who has a youngster that they are going to let ride these vehicles, that they have to investigate all these different things so that, number one, they are legal, number two, they are safe," AAA Northeast spokesperson Robert Sinclair said. 

Nassau County and Suffolk County police want parents held accountable and fined if their children break the law.    

"We make everybody sign a liability form," said Lee Abramson, of Big Cat E-Bikes. "Bikes that go over 28 miles an hour are not considered legal on the street."

Hicksville students react to e-bike ban

Students who violate the Hicksville schools' new e-bike policy face possible disciplinary action.     

One school official used bolt cutters to remove and confiscate an e-scooter from the student parking lot Thursday as the new ban was in effect.

"I think it serves as a double-edge sword since children or students like myself, we rely on those means of transportation," Sahil Qureshi, a student, said. 

"I think it does make sense for them to be banned because of the potential of the batteries to explode," said student Dylan Baroda.   

Over the summer, an e-bike battery did explode outside Garden City High School.