With the 2025-26 school year ending in just a few days, one thing that has me worried is the way people drive around our area.
Weâve all seen the speeders and people who think the shoulders on I-75 and I-275 are their personal âI have to get home faster than youâ lanes. But, as if those highway issues werenât enough, the local neighborhood roadways are now also being inundated by golf carts, electric bicycles, skateboards and scooters â and itâs clear that many parents either donât realize, donât understand or somehow donât care that some of their children are riding these dangerous vehicles on the same streets as your neighborâs Cybertrucks and high-powered sports cars.
I am not pointing fingers at anyone in particular here â we all know that many people drive too fast, donât use turn signals, donât stop at stop signs or at signalized intersections before turning right and are generally distracted by texting/looking at screens, eating and/or applying makeup when they drive.
But now, with children as young as 8-9 years old both on motorized vehicles and out of school â kids who clearly donât know the rules of the road â sharing the local roadways at all hours of the day, as well as at night, as a father and grandfather, I am truly scared for all of us.
Just a few weeks ago, one Wesley Chapel family suffered the ultimate loss, as the father of a 12-year-old boy struck and killed his own son, who was riding his electric skateboard in their own neighborhood. Obstructed views from hedges were cited as a factor in the tragic accident, but when you hear of this kind of horror that anyone has to endure, itâs not about looking to blame anyone, itâs about trying to prevent the next tragedy from happening.
First of all, I honestly believe that no unlicensed young driver should be allowed to own and operate one of these motorized vehicles without first having to complete an extensive safety course â with their family members, so everyone is aware of the sometimes difficult-to-follow rules governing each different type of these vehicles. Iâm not talking about an online course. Iâm talking about something in person, with law enforcement officials at least providing the rules if not the actual training, so that every kid who is given the ability to go 10-25 miles per hour â or more â on any kind of motorized vehicle understands the potential for tragedy they have beneath them.
Weâve already published stories about how the insurance industry is now having to deal with writing policies for these vehicles, many of which didnât exist just a few years ago, but here are a couple of those stats again:
⢠E-Scooter injuries soared by 80% from 2020-24, from less than 30,000 to more than 115,000.
⢠E-Bike injuries rose from just 1,600 in 2018 to 23,000+ in 2022
Since standard auto and homeownerâs policies donât include coverage for motorized bikes and scooters, thousands of claims have been denied. These vehicles are also 2.5 times more likely to be stolen than cars, with an estimated $1.4 billion in annual bicycle theft losses.Â
But, itâs not about the monetary cost. Itâs about losing someone you love, especially a child, to something so senseless.
Iâm fine with it if you disagree, if you say that kids should have their freedom, too. Thatâs easy to say until itâs your child who pays the ultimate price.
All I can say is that if youâre not going to be extra careful, especially now that school is about to be let out and the number of these new motorized threats sharing the road with already-distracted drivers is about to skyrocket, youâre literally asking for more tragedy to affect someone elseâs family…or your own.
So, please drive carefully…and please talk to your kids about the very real dangers.