PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Pennsylvania lawmaker is planning to introduce legislation that would create safety regulations for electric scooters.
It’s called Abby’s Law, in honor of 12-year-old Abby Gillon, who was struck and killed by a car while riding an e-scooter last month in Aston, Delaware County.
Abby and her friend, 11-year-old Bella Jones, were thrown from a single e-scooter into oncoming traffic on June 14. Abby later died. Bella was critically injured.
E-scooters are not street legal in Pennsylvania, and there are no outlined rules for riding them.
State Sen. Tim Kearney is working with Abby’s family and other stakeholders to develop legislation that would establish safety requirements and helmet use based on age, as well as recognize e-scooters as a regulated micromobility vehicle in the PA Vehicle Code.
While it’s unclear when the legislation would be introduced — budget negotiations are still underway in Harrisburg, well past the June 30 deadline — but Kearney hopes it “will be high up on everybody’s list come September.”
Last week, a 14-year-old boy on a motorized bicycle was fatally struck by a car in Somers Point, New Jersey. Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds said parents must be gatekeepers, and there needs to be a better policy with motorized bikes and scooters. He said manufacturers and retailers must do their part to educate consumers on the dangers and not just sell a product.