THE WEST LOOP (WBBM Newsradio) -- You see them everywhere from streets to sidewalks to bike paths. Now, state leaders are putting new focus on some electric-powered bikes and scooters.
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias joined Illinois lawmakers and other stakeholders Thursday to launch a new campaign designed to call attention to the potential safety hazards of many e-bikes, scooters and skateboards, and to change state law to address their popularity.
Giannoulias, who admitted to being a bike enthusiast "of the analog variety," said that state laws have not kept up with advancements in e-bikes, and that some of the fastest bikes are not covered by regulations dealing with licenses, registration or insurance. He also said many of the people riding them, and getting into crashes, are children who aren't aware of the potential dangers.
The "Ride Safe, Ride Smart, Ride Ready" program includes a push to change state law to regulate the newest "micromobility" vehicles, as well as update drivers' ed curricula and make sure parents and children know about their potential dangers, and where they can be safely used.
"Literally we've seen motorcycles on the bike path," Giannoulias told reporters at the Secretary of State's office, 555 W. Monroe St. "That is not OK."
During the announcement, Lurie Children's Hospital emergency room physician Dr. Kristine Cieslak told reporters she'd seen a wide variety of injuries related to falls from e-bikes, including fractured jaws, knocked-out teeth and broken bones.
And because some of the newer e-bikes can travel at speeds up to 58 miles per hour, Dr. Cieslak said those injuries are more complicated and severe than falling off a traditional bicycle: "The impact is going to be greater when they hit the ground."
Another participant, Lincolnshire police chief Joe Leonas, offered possibly the best advice of all: "Be safe. Be boring."