TODD. THANK YOU CHRIS. E-BIKES ARE CAUSING MORE CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY FOR THOSE RIDING THEM AND OTHER PEOPLE ON OUR LOCAL ROADS. OUR TRISHA COAST BUREAU REPORTER ANGELA ROZIER LEARNED THAT STATE LAWMAKERS ARE NOW WORKING ON LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS THAT SAFETY ISSUE. WE GOT A CALL THAT THERE WAS A AN E-BIKE TAKEOVER IN PALM CITY. E-BIKE SAFETY IS A BIG ISSUE IN MARTIN COUNTY. THERE WERE ABOUT 30 IN TOTAL THAT WERE RIDING WHEELIES, RIDING ALL OVER THE ROAD, THE SIDEWALK, VIOLATING TRAFFIC LAWS. AND SHERIFF JOHN BUDENSIEK SAYS THE BIKE RIDERS THAT DEPUTIES COULD STOP HAD THEIR PARENTS CONTACTED. SEVERAL ILLEGAL E-BIKES WERE SEIZED, AND THEY ALSO ISSUED CRIMINAL CITATIONS. HE’S URGING PARENTS TO MAKE SURE THEIR CHILDREN UNDERSTAND THE RULES WELL. THE SHERIFF SAYS THEY RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ABOUT TEENS ON E-BIKES, SPEEDING IN PARKING LOTS, SHOPPING CENTERS AND EVEN PRIVATE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND IT’S NOT JUST HAPPENING IN PALM CITY. THIS WOMAN SAYS KIDS ON BIKES HAVE BEEN RACING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IN HER NEIGHBORHOOD. SO I JUST MOVED TO THE SIDE. I LET THE ONE CHILD PASS. THE OTHER ONE WAS IN THE STREET, AND HE SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND AS THEY GOT PAST ME, STARTED SCREAMING, YOU KNOW, VULGARITIES AT ME. LAWMAKERS IN TALLAHASSEE ARE WORKING ON TIGHTENING E-BIKE RULES, SOMETHING ATTORNEY GARY LESTER HAS BEEN ADVOCATING FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW. HE SAYS THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION WILL APPLY TO ALL E-BIKE USERS. THERE’S A SPECIFICATION, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IF YOU’RE IN A PARK PATH, THE PEDESTRIAN HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY. THE FACT THAT THEY’RE GOING TO MODIFY DRIVER’S EDUCATION COURSES AND THEY’LL BE INSTRUCTED ABOUT SHARING THE ROAD WITH BICYCLES, INCLUDING E-BIKES. THIS IS INFORMATION. THIS IS DATA. IT’S A REALLY GOOD PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT’S GOING TO MAKE PEOPLE A LOT SAFER. AND IT’S FRANKLY WAY OVERDUE IN
‘We’re not anti-e-bikes’: Martin County Sheriff shares e-bike concerns as legislation proposed
Updated: 7:09 PM EST Dec 3, 2025
E-bikes are the number one complaint, according to the Martin County Sheriff.Sheriff John Budensiek said they received a call about an e-bike takeover in Palm City, about 30 in total, and when deputies got there, the ones that they could stop had their parents contacted, and several illegal e-bikes were seized.Budensiek is urging parents to make sure their children understand the rules.”Keep in mind, we’re not anti-e-bikes, we’re anti our kids getting killed on e-bikes or seriously hurt, and we’ve had that, we’ve had kids get seriously hurt on e-bikes,” Budensiek said.It’s not just happening in Palm City.Stuart resident Deb Potter said two boys on e-bikes have been seen racing on private property in her neighborhood.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News”They were on the sidewalk, going very fast,” Potter said. “So, I just moved to the side. I let the one child pass, the other one was in the street. He slowed down a little bit, and as he got past me, he started screaming vulgarities at me.”Marge Broers also lives on the Treasure Coast and shared her incident with an e-bike.”I had one shoot past me so fast it scared me to death one time, and it was on a sidewalk,” Broers said. “You know, he wasn’t bothering me, but I think the problem with e-bikes is when you get four or five kids together, and kids do things differently.”Lawmakers in Tallahassee are working on tightening e-bike rules, which is something Attorney Gary Lesser has been advocating for a couple of years.Lesser said the proposed legislation will apply to all e-bike users.”There’s specification, for example, that if you’re in a park path, the pedestrian has the right of way,” Lesser said. “The fact that they are going to modify drivers’ education courses and there will be instructions with sharing the road with bicycles, including e-bikes. This is information, this is data; it’s a really good piece of legislation that’s going to make a lot of people a lot safer, and it’s, frankly it’s way overdue.”Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. —
E-bikes are the number one complaint, according to the Martin County Sheriff.
Sheriff John Budensiek said they received a call about an e-bike takeover in Palm City, about 30 in total, and when deputies got there, the ones that they could stop had their parents contacted, and several illegal e-bikes were seized.
Budensiek is urging parents to make sure their children understand the rules.
“Keep in mind, we’re not anti-e-bikes, we’re anti our kids getting killed on e-bikes or seriously hurt, and we’ve had that, we’ve had kids get seriously hurt on e-bikes,” Budensiek said.
It’s not just happening in Palm City.
Stuart resident Deb Potter said two boys on e-bikes have been seen racing on private property in her neighborhood.
Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
“They were on the sidewalk, going very fast,” Potter said. “So, I just moved to the side. I let the one child pass, the other one was in the street. He slowed down a little bit, and as he got past me, he started screaming vulgarities at me.”
Marge Broers also lives on the Treasure Coast and shared her incident with an e-bike.
“I had one shoot past me so fast it scared me to death one time, and it was on a sidewalk,” Broers said. “You know, he wasn’t bothering me, but I think the problem with e-bikes is when you get four or five kids together, and kids do things differently.”
Lawmakers in Tallahassee are working on tightening e-bike rules, which is something Attorney Gary Lesser has been advocating for a couple of years.
Lesser said the proposed legislation will apply to all e-bike users.
“There’s specification, for example, that if you’re in a park path, the pedestrian has the right of way,” Lesser said. “The fact that they are going to modify drivers’ education courses and there will be instructions with sharing the road with bicycles, including e-bikes. This is information, this is data; it’s a really good piece of legislation that’s going to make a lot of people a lot safer, and it’s, frankly it’s way overdue.”
Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
