E-bikes, e-scooters raise safety concerns for students
8 News Now — Las Vegas
[{'start': '0.640', 'end': '4.720', 'text': 'Well, low levels of skill, but high'}, {'start': '2.960', 'end': '6.319', 'text': 'levels of speed, and that is a recipe'}, {'start': '4.720', 'end': '8.160', 'text': "for disaster. You've probably noticed"}, {'start': '6.319', 'end': '9.920', 'text': 'more ebikes and e- scooters around the'}, {'start': '8.160', 'end': '11.840', 'text': 'valley, especially around local schools.'}, {'start': '9.920', 'end': '14.559', 'text': 'I take a look at efforts to keep riders'}, {'start': '11.840', 'end': '17.199', 'text': 'and drivers safe.'}, {'start': '14.559', 'end': '18.720', 'text': "It's the recklessness that we're seeing."}, {'start': '17.199', 'end': '21.760', 'text': "It's the high speeds through school"}, {'start': '18.720', 'end': '24.560', 'text': 'zones. Kids riding to school on ecooters'}, {'start': '21.760', 'end': '26.640', 'text': 'and ebikes.'}, {'start': '24.560', 'end': '29.920', 'text': 'What is the challenge or problem they'}, {'start': '26.640', 'end': '31.119', 'text': "bring? They're fast."}, {'start': '29.920', 'end': '32.480', 'text': "A lot of parents, I don't think really"}, {'start': '31.119', 'end': '34.399', 'text': "even understand what it is that they're"}, {'start': '32.480', 'end': '36.480', 'text': 'putting their kids on. For that parent,'}, {'start': '34.399', 'end': '39.040', 'text': 'that kid, maybe it makes the morning'}, {'start': '36.480', 'end': '42.320', 'text': "commute easier. It's fun to ride and"}, {'start': '39.040', 'end': '44.239', 'text': "also it's like decently fast, so it gets"}, {'start': '42.320', 'end': '46.480', 'text': 'me like to where I need to go pretty'}, {'start': '44.239', 'end': '49.360', 'text': 'quickly. But that convenience comes with'}, {'start': '46.480', 'end': '50.960', 'text': 'a cost. Low levels of skill and a high'}, {'start': '49.360', 'end': '53.120', 'text': 'level of speed. And a kid trying to'}, {'start': '50.960', 'end': '55.039', 'text': 'operate that and navigate traffic is a'}, {'start': '53.120', 'end': '57.600', 'text': 'recipe for disaster. The price to pay'}, {'start': '55.039', 'end': '59.199', 'text': "may be your child's safety. Let's sit"}, {'start': '57.600', 'end': '61.039', 'text': 'down and talk about it before it gets to'}, {'start': '59.199', 'end': '62.239', 'text': 'one of these events where people are'}, {'start': '61.039', 'end': '64.080', 'text': "losing their lives. They're getting"}, {'start': '62.239', 'end': '66.640', 'text': "severely injured and that's why we're"}, {'start': '64.080', 'end': '69.280', 'text': 'talking about it. Ebikes and ecooters'}, {'start': '66.640', 'end': '71.119', 'text': 'have skyrocketed in popularity with this'}, {'start': '69.280', 'end': '73.119', 'text': 'onslaught of all these new devices out'}, {'start': '71.119', 'end': '75.520', 'text': 'there. It was it kind of just shocked'}, {'start': '73.119', 'end': '77.759', 'text': 'everybody. And on these new devices,'}, {'start': '75.520', 'end': '80.479', 'text': 'students are dashing and darting through'}, {'start': '77.759', 'end': '82.479', 'text': 'school zones.'}, {'start': '80.479', 'end': '85.280', 'text': "We've had an increase uh in students"}, {'start': '82.479', 'end': '86.799', 'text': 'using ebikes and e- scooters, which uh'}, {'start': '85.280', 'end': '88.159', 'text': "poses a new problem. If they're going to"}, {'start': '86.799', 'end': '89.360', 'text': "go through our school zones, they're"}, {'start': '88.159', 'end': '91.920', 'text': "going to drive reckless. They're going"}, {'start': '89.360', 'end': '93.439', 'text': 'to put other kids at risk, then we have'}, {'start': '91.920', 'end': '96.159', 'text': 'to put our attention there. The main'}, {'start': '93.439', 'end': '98.400', 'text': "issue, it's hard to gauge speed and"}, {'start': '96.159', 'end': '100.159', 'text': "power. It's not leg power, not coming"}, {'start': '98.400', 'end': '101.759', 'text': 'from their own strength. They think that'}, {'start': '100.159', 'end': '104.119', 'text': "they're bikes and they're really not"}, {'start': '101.759', 'end': '107.680', 'text': 'bikes. They are battery powered'}, {'start': '104.119', 'end': '109.119', 'text': 'micromobility high wattage speeders. You'}, {'start': '107.680', 'end': '110.720', 'text': "know how fast you're going to go when"}, {'start': '109.119', 'end': '113.119', 'text': 'you put the the muscles into the'}, {'start': '110.720', 'end': '114.560', 'text': "gearing. Um, and you don't when it's"}, {'start': '113.119', 'end': '119.520', 'text': 'just your thumb pushing. They can go'}, {'start': '114.560', 'end': '123.759', 'text': 'from 20 mph to 30 mph or faster.'}, {'start': '119.520', 'end': '126.000', 'text': 'These are 6,500 watts. They go 65 m an'}, {'start': '123.759', 'end': '127.560', 'text': 'hour and they can alter them to go'}, {'start': '126.000', 'end': '130.879', 'text': 'faster.'}, {'start': '127.560', 'end': '134.000', 'text': "Essentially mini motorcycles. We've seen"}, {'start': '130.879', 'end': '135.280', 'text': 'kids as young as 9 10 years old riding'}, {'start': '134.000', 'end': '137.440', 'text': 'things that can be classified as'}, {'start': '135.280', 'end': '139.680', 'text': 'motorcycles. And the higher speeds'}, {'start': '137.440', 'end': '141.760', 'text': "reduce reaction time. The faster you're"}, {'start': '139.680', 'end': '143.520', 'text': 'going, the harder it is to slow down,'}, {'start': '141.760', 'end': '145.280', 'text': 'the longer it takes you to react. and'}, {'start': '143.520', 'end': '148.000', 'text': 'then the more injury it causes. These'}, {'start': '145.280', 'end': '150.879', 'text': 'devices are keeping orthopedics busy,'}, {'start': '148.000', 'end': '154.000', 'text': "pelvic fractures, broken bones. We've"}, {'start': '150.879', 'end': '155.599', 'text': 'had about 95 kids hit um since the'}, {'start': '154.000', 'end': '157.760', 'text': 'beginning of the school year. Many do'}, {'start': '155.599', 'end': '160.239', 'text': 'not wear a helmet or wear a helmet that'}, {'start': '157.760', 'end': '162.560', 'text': 'is insufficient for the speeds being'}, {'start': '160.239', 'end': '164.000', 'text': "throttled and you're going 35 mph and"}, {'start': '162.560', 'end': '165.440', 'text': "you flip over, it's not going to do you"}, {'start': '164.000', 'end': '166.959', 'text': "much good because those helmets aren't"}, {'start': '165.440', 'end': '168.800', 'text': "designed for that. They're designed for"}, {'start': '166.959', 'end': '170.720', 'text': 'bicycle riders. Uh a lot of the time we'}, {'start': '168.800', 'end': '173.280', 'text': "don't have helmets on. But do parents"}, {'start': '170.720', 'end': '175.760', 'text': 'know? Are they aware of these risks as'}, {'start': '173.280', 'end': '178.000', 'text': 'their child scoots off to school? Most'}, {'start': '175.760', 'end': '180.560', 'text': "of the time, I don't think so. Cuz"}, {'start': '178.000', 'end': '183.519', 'text': 'sometimes I see kids on the road, no'}, {'start': '180.560', 'end': '185.519', 'text': 'helmets, uh, riding, really going fast,'}, {'start': '183.519', 'end': '187.840', 'text': 'passing red lights. If they saw how'}, {'start': '185.519', 'end': '189.599', 'text': "their kid was maneuvering it, they'd be"}, {'start': '187.840', 'end': '191.440', 'text': 'just as upset as some of us are. There'}, {'start': '189.599', 'end': '193.200', 'text': 'are efforts from Clark County to take'}, {'start': '191.440', 'end': '194.800', 'text': "steps to increase safety. There's"}, {'start': '193.200', 'end': '196.159', 'text': 'currently bills in the legislature that'}, {'start': '194.800', 'end': '197.599', 'text': "they're working through right now that"}, {'start': '196.159', 'end': '199.599', 'text': 'are going to hopefully help some of this'}, {'start': '197.599', 'end': '201.440', 'text': 'with the reclassification. and schools'}, {'start': '199.599', 'end': '203.120', 'text': 'are stepping up their awareness and'}, {'start': '201.440', 'end': '204.800', 'text': "enforcement. We're encouraging school"}, {'start': '203.120', 'end': '206.720', 'text': 'staff to start that dialogue with the'}, {'start': '204.800', 'end': '208.400', 'text': 'the child and the family to try to'}, {'start': '206.720', 'end': '211.599', 'text': 'educate them that way. But it comes down'}, {'start': '208.400', 'end': '213.519', 'text': "to mom and dad. We know that we can't um"}, {'start': '211.599', 'end': '216.400', 'text': 'enforce our way out of this. Parents are'}, {'start': '213.519', 'end': '218.239', 'text': 'the decision makers hopefully now making'}, {'start': '216.400', 'end': '220.720', 'text': 'an informed decision. If we can get'}, {'start': '218.239', 'end': '222.640', 'text': 'parents to uh see how their kids are'}, {'start': '220.720', 'end': '224.720', 'text': 'driving, talk to them about how driving,'}, {'start': '222.640', 'end': '226.480', 'text': 'uh follow safety rules, uh and'}, {'start': '224.720', 'end': '228.640', 'text': 'definitely wear a helmet, wearing bright'}, {'start': '226.480', 'end': '230.159', 'text': 'clothes, being predictable, wearing the'}, {'start': '228.640', 'end': '232.959', 'text': "safety equipment. All we're asking is"}, {'start': '230.159', 'end': '234.879', 'text': 'that you follow the basic traffic laws.'}, {'start': '232.959', 'end': '236.959', 'text': 'And we do want to highlight that because'}, {'start': '234.879', 'end': '238.720', 'text': 'of our reporting here, the principal of'}, {'start': '236.959', 'end': '241.519', 'text': 'Spring Valley High School now working'}, {'start': '238.720', 'end': '243.599', 'text': 'with CCSD safe routes on helmet'}, {'start': '241.519', 'end': '246.640', 'text': 'education and also to get some helmets'}, {'start': '243.599', 'end': '246.640', 'text': 'donated to their students.'}]