BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (WKRN) — Electric bicycle collisions involving pedestrians have led Brentwood commissioners to take action.
“We’re having a lot of people ride e-bikes on the park walk/bike trails, and there have been some instances where we have had near-hit situations,” said Commissioner Janet Donahue.
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Electric bike safety in Brentwood remains an issue. Last year, the Brentwood Police Department said officers responded to seven times as many e-bike-related crashes as traditional bicycle crashes. Some of the incidents reportedly involved children, who suffered cuts, head injuries and broken wrists.
Tennessee currently has laws on e-bikes but also allows local governments the authority to issue their own resolutions or ordinances. Donahue said Brentwood commissioners have already had one work session on e-bike safety and have some early ideas on improving safety.
“Concentrating specifically on the paved bike trails in the parks and along the sides of the roads, we’re looking at limiting speeds and restricting throttle use,” Donahue said. “This is because some of the e-bikes you can move without pedaling them because they have throttles on them.”
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Donahue added as a last resort, they will look at restricting areas where e-bikes can be used.
As the popularity of e-bikes grows, Donahue also wants to encourage riders to wear helmets and practice riding safety. She is urging people to use caution and commonsense when they are on the trails.
If you would like to learn more about e-bike safety, click here.
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