Fulshear Moves to Require Helmets for Young Riders After Fatal E-Scooter Crashes
City Council voted Oct. 20 to form a committee after several recent fatalities in the area involving e-bikes and e-scooters.
By Madison Darwish ·
Fulshear City Council voted Oct. 20 to create what council member Randy Connor calls an e-safety committee, a response to several recent deaths in the area from crashes involving e-bikes and e-scooters. The group is expected to include council members, police department personnel, parents, residents, and a young person who rides a scooter.
Connor said the committee's work will focus on reducing exposure to risk. "If the kids will follow safety protocols, obey the rules, use the crosswalks properly, use the safety equipment, we can certainly minimize and I say we as a community, we can minimize their exposure to risk," Connor said.
Several children addressed the council during public comment and voiced support for an ordinance requiring minors to wear helmets while riding e-bikes and e-scooters. Council member Richard Russell pushed for a faster response, citing the risk of another crash occurring while the city works on a solution. "I'm suggesting an all-out ban," Russell said. "I'll fall on that sword."
Connor said the recent accidents have increased public interest in the issue. "People get more conscious and more interested in what we can do to protect the safety of these kids and I think short of a ban, that's what this e-safety committee is going to look at," Connor said.
The city has also discussed the matter with State Representative Gary Gates regarding a possible presentation to the state legislature at its next session. City officials are planning town halls and additional police department safety programs to involve families in the effort. "We believe that education is where all this starts," Connor said. "Of course, education at home being the number one priority, but we want to enhance that."
City Attorney Charles Zech and City Manager Zach Goodlander are scheduled to present an ordinance requiring helmets for minors on e-bikes and e-scooters at a Nov. 17 council meeting, according to Connor. The committee will meet the following day, Nov. 18, to address details including daylight hours, sidewalk use, and private versus public property. If the initial ordinance passes, the committee's findings are due to the council in mid-January.
Source: Community Impact
