Pearland police say reckless e-scooter and e-bike riding has become a daily complaint, and far too often, a crash scene.
Drivers say they barely have time to react when kids come shooting through intersections or pop off sidewalks without warning.
“They’re just zooming through the traffic,” said Kimmee Johnson, a Pearland driver. “They’re exceeding the speed limit of the traffic.”
The problem is not limited to Pearland. E-scooter injuries jumped 80% nationwide from 2023 to 2024.
Locally, Pearland police have already responded to 18 auto-pedestrian crashes so far this year, more than one per week. Officers say complaint calls are coming in daily, and crash reports are growing.
Allen Johnson, another Pearland driver, described a close call of his own.
“He was probably doing 40 mph and cut right in front of me as I was pulling out,” Johnson said. “It was frustrating, and it scared me.”
Officers say they see it outside of Shadow Creek High School immediately after the final bell. Kids flying down the road on scooters, many ignoring sidewalks completely. We witnessed it ourselves.
Pearland Police Officer Chad Rogers says the trajectory is worrying.
“Someone is going to get severely injured,” Rogers said.
The danger is not always about behavior, either. Daryl Catching, owner of Pearland Bicycles, repairs e-bikes and e-scooters regularly, and says some of these rides should not be on the road at all.
“The bikes come in, they don’t have working brakes…loose bolts on them,” Catching said.
Police say the solution starts at home. Parents should ensure their children are riding with properly working brakes and helmets, and that kids understand basic traffic laws. Failing to do so could come with real consequences.
“The city ordinance was enacted to try to make it safer, and also…making parents responsible. The parent could actually be issued a citation for it,” Rogers said.
Police also urge residents not to treat this as just a social media complaint. If reckless riding is spotted, they want people to call it in so officers can direct resources to where incidents are happening.
For drivers, police recommend slowing down in neighborhoods, looking twice before pulling out of driveways and giving extra space when scooters are nearby.
Rogers put the stakes plainly.
“Understand that a car versus a scooter is not going to be a win for a scooter,” he said.
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