VERNON, Texas (KAUZ) – The holiday season may be over, but one of the most popular gifts of the season is still causing concern for residents in Vernon.
According to police, children have been riding electric bikes and scooters recklessly on city streets and highways. Officers shared they have received multiple calls reporting children riding against traffic, failing to yield at busy intersections and creating dangerous situations for both themselves and others.
According to police department officials, the department’s main goal is to keep everyone safe while still allowing everyone to enjoy their holiday gifts.
Vernon Police Lt. Tyler Bohannon said officers are working to prevent serious injuries before they happen.
“We file complaints regularly from normal operators of motor vehicles that are complaining that a kid turned out in front of me or almost ran into the side of my car at a stop sign or just different things, fortunately, we haven’t had any major injuries, but that’s why we’re trying to be ahead of the curve on this,” Bohannon said.
Bohannon said many of the dangers stem from a lack of driver education among younger riders.
“They haven’t gone to any basic driver safety or driver’s education course. They have no idea. So I think the lack of education is the problem. So now whenever we break that down, we’re talking about things like that, they’re not stopping at stop signs. They probably don’t realize that they’re supposed to be stopping at stop signs,” Bohannon said.
Bohannon also emphasized that drivers must remain alert and cautious when sharing the road with electric bikes and scooters.
“One of the things that I always continuously reinforce is the idea of defensive driving. We don’t know what these kids are going to do. You don’t know what other operators are going to do. You have to be in control of yourself,” Bohannon said.
Law enforcement officials shared that they are currently focused on educating the community about the rules of the road.
Police also recommend that anyone riding an electric bike or scooter wear a helmet and other protective equipment to reduce the risk of injury.
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