Police urge parents to talk to teens about e-bike safety

City sees rise in complaints and accidents involving teens riding e-bikes at high speeds on trails and roads

Business person with electric bike and smartphone outdoors — Source: Westend61 / Getty

FISHERS — Fishers Police are asking parents to talk to their children about e-bike safety after a growing number of complaints and accidents involving teens riding recklessly around the city.

Residents say they’re increasingly encountering young riders zipping through trails, sidewalks and city roads, often at high speeds and without warning.

“You don’t hear them and then suddenly they’re there,” said Fishers trail user Peggy, who recently had a close call with a fast-moving e-bike. “I was coming through the tunnel, and an e-bike came by quite fast. They do go fast, they’re nice. And it was so quiet that both he and I jumped.”

Chris Carr, who owns a local bike shop, said the problem is less about the bikes themselves and more about how they’re being used.

“What I’m seeing with that younger generation is they’re not buying the bikes to ride,” Carr said. “Since it’s more throttle-based, it’s more like a moped or dirt bike. Not a lot of people actually know how to handle a bike over 20 miles an hour.”

Fishers Police said they’ve received multiple reports of teens not only causing accidents but also yelling at drivers and pedestrians. Officers are encouraging parents to remind their children to ride safely and be respectful of others using the city’s greenways and trails.