12-year-old boy, parents cited after youth stopped in Danville riding electric motorcycle

[Beringia]

Source: East Bay Times




DANVILLE — A 12-year-old boy and his parents have been cited by police after the youth was stopped for traffic violations while illegally riding an electric motorcycle, authorities said — the second time in recent months that East Bay parents have faced legal consequences over their child’s use of such a device.

In a social media release, police did not say what day the offenses occurred or where exactly the youth was first seen, except to say it was “recently” in a residential area of the city. Authorities said an officer saw a motorcycle rider run a stop sign. When the officer attempted to stop the motorcycle the rider did not yield and traveled through the residential area at speeds of up to 45 mph. The officer pursued the motorcycle for nearly a mile, until the rider stopped in a cul-de-sac and was apprehended, the release says.

It was then that the officer discovered the rider was a 12-year-old boy, the release says.
Police said the motorcycle he was riding is a Talaria brand electric motorcycle, capable of speeds up to 60 mph and requiring a driver’s license to operate. Electric bicycles, dirt bikes and motorcycles are posing increasing challenges to law-enforcement and traffic-safety authorities, especially when used by underage riders.

Read more: https://archive.ph/zhOJB

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The story caught my attention for it being a 12-year-old boy who was speeding and tried to elude police on top of that.

[Deuxcents]

1. Probably the best thing that could have happened to the kid before he kills somebody or himself

[thesquanderer]

7. It already happened elsewhere, Mom arrested after 14yo son on e-motorcycle killed a man

https://abc7.com/post/oc-mom-tommi-jo-mejer-appears-court-being-charged-death-ed-ashman-man-struck-teen-boys-motorcycle/19088212/

[Beringia]

10. How awful, and he was a Vietnam Vet and went through all that

And it says a boy killed himself too. The dangers of e-motorcycles gained renewed attention last Thursday, when a 13-year-old boy was killed when he crashed one of the motorized cycles into a median in Garden Grove.

[regnaD kciN]

2. This is a big issue where I live...

…because a lot of teens ride these things, and law enforcement has been running a PSA campaign about the difference between e-bikes (which don’t require a license and can be ridden by anyone) and e-motorcycles (which are considered the same as gas-powered ones) because, frankly, vendors are often not clear about which category a model falls under when they sell them.

[Old Crank]

23. The vendors are criminals.

They know these things are illegal for road use as a bike.

[OldBaldy1701E]

27. Oh yes, they know damned well what they are doing. (n/t)

[ZDU]

3. E-moto

E-bicycles are getting bad raps. That 12-yo was riding an e-moto

Supplemental info:
https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/the-e-bike-problem-is-an-e-moto-problem

[Beringia]

11. Thanks for the link

[ZDU]

14. You're most welcome!

[yardwork]

30. I was really confused for a minute!

To me, e-bikes are ponderous old-fashioned looking bicycles with flower baskets on the handlebars and little bells. Old people like my wife and I ride them on rail trails. I'm not sure they do more than 30 mph.

[ZDU]

31. I love that!

I too am the old-school/olde-style bike guy. Cheers!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. He should get cited for not having any tread on his rear tire too. NT

[RockRaven]

5. By my understanding of the law, not only would the rider have needed a license (and therefore need be older)

but that vehicle being classified as an electric motorcycle means it must have a OHV (off-highway vehicle) permit/plate visible, which it appears not to have in the image provided.

[pat_k]

6. Here in Seattle, electric unicycles are a serious problem.

AFAIK you don't need a license, registration, or anything. As a dog walker, I go from one client's home to the next for six to eight hours a day, so I'm driving (or riding my bike) around North Seattle a lot. I see at least a half-dozen different people on these things every week. They travel FAR over the speed limit (I've been passed in 35 mph zones). Dodge around cars, run lights. It is nuts.

[littlemissmartypants]

13. I can see how they might come in handy. If the kids...

Decided to start a revolution to take back democracy from the fascists.

Clearly there are times when my imagination runs wild.
❤️

[pat_k]

20. OMG. I can see it! Road warriors on EUCs!

[littlemissmartypants]

25. GMTA

[Deuxcents]

8. I'm glad to see the parents are being held accountable

[BeneteauBum]

9. In addition to pedestrians and bicycles

We now have these electric bikes and stand up scooters whizzing up and down the sidewalks…..some at over 30mph. The pedestrians are expected to yield upon notice. To make things worse, drivers at intersections are looking for pedestrians and aren’t aware of high speed sidewalk traffic.

I used to enjoy a sidewalk evening stroll. Now I have to find areas that aren’t motorized freeways. Getting old I guess.

Peace ☮️

[Beringia]

12. Your peace sign is cool, can I use it?

[BeneteauBum]

17. You needn't ask! 😊

Peace starts with each individual! Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.

Peace ☮️

[Orrex]

15. Kids in my town zip around on streets all the time, wholly ignoring stop signs and traffic

To be sure, I engaged in more than my share of asinine behavior in my youth, but I really do worry that one of these kids is going to get flattened when they blaze across an intersection or into a driver's blind spot.

[rpannier]

16. Danville and Walnut Creek

Grew up there (Walnut Creek) in the 70s and early 80s.
Lots of entitled people in that area (WC, Alamo, San Ramon, Danville, Orinda, Lafayette. etc). Not surprised.

[blue-wave]

18. There should be extremely stiff fines for this

I've seen kids riding motorized electric bicycles, motorcycles, scooters and other similar devices on sidewalks. It infuriates me that this allowed. I blame the parents. They raise their kids to believe they are entitled to such behavior. Sidewalks are exactly that..... they are walks!!! Walkways for pedestrians to safely stay out of the way of motorized vehicles. No one is entitled to run over anyone on a sidewalk.

[LisaM]

24. Cities won't do a fucking thing.

The failure of the Seattle police and the Seattle City Council to do anything is maddening. It started when Bird, then Lime started illegally dumping scooters all over the place. They have that Trumpian "ask forgiveness, not permission" mentality. I called and wrote them a lot, asking them to make them illegal. Obviously I got nowhere.

Pedestrians are at huge risk and we have the right of way! The other day, a young woman hauled one of those pseudo motorcycles on to the light rail. I couldn't believe it.

When our new mayor was elected, I also wrote asking for laws to regulate scooters and eBikes. No response.

[LisaM]

19. This is a problem everywhere. I see kids riding these things constantly.

I am glad the police are finally finding the appetite to do something about it.

Now, can we get these asshole scooters off the sidewalk? I walk almost everywhere and I am afraid to cross from one side of the sidewalk to another. And one went whizzing by my hairdresser's shop the other day - on the sidewalk - going at least 20mph. Then they litter them wherever they feel like it. It absolutely sucks to be a pedestrian these days.

[BidenRocks]

22. I saw one parked.

It looked the same as an old 175 cc from the 70s.
All black with no headlight, tail light or reflectors which are mandatory for a bicycle!
I will hit one of these terrorists when they speed down the curb cut to cross the street, and I miss seeing them.
It was close a week ago. They never noticed or cared.

Another was a group of 5 in a Walmart parking lot creating a collision danger.

Use them properly or get busted! I really don't wish to kill you!

You are invisible!

[flvegan]

26. Can we talk about that back tire for a minute?

That tire is bald to the point of being a racing slick at best. Any sand or moisture on the road, and that thing is not going to have much control. What horrific, stupid parent lets their 12 year old out on a 60 mph illegal death machine like that?

I'm sure the tire is in such a state because little Jaiden/Trevor/Travis/Asshole has been doing "look at me!" burnouts and the parents are probably too buried in TikTok cooking videos to give a shit. Combine that with (what I assume to be) a heaping load of "gentle parenting" and surely this little miscreant will become a productive member of society.

Running from the police at 12. My mom would have buried me.

[Polybius]

28. "until the rider stopped in a cul-de-sac"

A cul-de-sac? Gonna have to look that one up.

[MichMan]

29. Impound and crush them