07/11/2026
A man and a boy ride e-bikes through Faurot Park on Thursday evening.
David Trinko | The Lima News
By Safia Malhotra • [email protected]
SPENCERVILLE — Police Chief Kyle Miller wrote a public letter to Spencerville residents last week about the dangers of electric bikes and scooters when driven irresponsibly, as e-bike and e-scooter injuries skyrocket across the country.
“As a reminder to parents, drivers, and riders — Ohio law treats electric bikes and scooters as vehicles with real responsibilities, not toys,” he wrote.
He shared that the Spencerville Police Department had received “far too many” reports of reckless riding, such as weaving through traffic, riding tandem, darting into intersections, ignoring stop signs and pedestrians and excessive speeding through residential areas.
Dozens of police departments across the country have been making similar statements, including Martins Ferry in Belmont County, which reported two instances of e-bikes crashing into cars after failing to follow traffic laws.
“We did have one that broadsided, that was going the wrong way and in the wrong lane and actually turned right into the side of [a car],” Martins Ferry Police Chief Vince West told WTRF. “And we had another one that was a little more serious, where a kid ran a stop sign, came right out and got hit.”
What are the laws for electric bikes?
Ohio Revised Code 4511.01 designates e-bikes and e-scooters as vehicles, requiring operators to follow the same rules and responsibilities as cars. It also divides e-bikes into three classes. Class one bikes have fully operable pedals and an electric motor that shuts off when the bike exceeds 20 mph. Class twos are also capped at 20 mph, but they are equipped with pedal-assist, a motor and a throttle. Class threes have pedal-assist and motors shut off at 28 mph; operators must be at least 16 years of age and wear helmets. Class three bikes are not allowed on shared-use paths.
No matter the class, e-bikes must obey traffic laws and yield to pedestrians. ORC 4511.711 states that electric bikes may be operated on a sidewalk only when the motor is not engaged.
“You still have to abide by all traffic laws: stop signs, red lights, pedestrian walkways, basically just as if you are traveling in a car,” said Zac Carpenter, a sergeant at the Lima Police Department. “If there is a designated bike path, the e-bike operator has to ride in the bike path.”
KaDee Fultz, owner of Crankers Cycling in Lima, sells and repairs e-bikes and e-scooters. She said that, although she warns buyers to follow the rules of the road, most kids don’t know what those rules are.
“We’re supposed to follow the rules, but the kids don’t know the rules,” she said. “They’re just kids being kids.”
Fultz said the downtown bike and repair shop is the only e-bike repair store in northwest Ohio. As such, the store is stocked with beaten-down e-bikes and e-scooters awaiting repair, and will likely remain full throughout the summer.
“Teenage boys think these things are like motorcycles,” she said. “So they really test their limits until they usually break. What we see more than anything is they’re abusing bikes because they think they’re indestructible.”
How it is being addressed
To combat the growing number of e-bike and e-scooer related crashes, the Ohio State Highway Patrol put out an informational video on Oct. 8, 2025, reminding operators to prioritize safety. They recommend always wearing a helmet and a reflective vest or bright clothing, using a light (which is required from sundown-sunset), riding as far to the right of the road as possible and using hand signals to communicate with drivers.
Ohio lawmakers have also addressed the surge in popularity. In May, Reps. Andrea White, R-Kettering, and Kevin Miller, R-Newark, introduced House Bill 948, which would require that e-bike sellers pass out official Ohio Department of Transportation safety pamphlets, driver’s education classes teach drivers how to share the road with e-bikes and lawmakers review Ohio’s current electric vehicle laws for modernization.
“This legislation takes a proactive approach by helping ensure riders, drivers, parents, and communities all have clear information about how to safely share Ohio’s roads,” White said in an article put out by the Ohio House of Representatives. “Our goal is to prevent injuries before they happen and support responsible use of these increasingly popular vehicles.”
Reach Safia Malhotra at 567-242-0351.
