Juveniles driving motorized scooters and various vehicles, including electric motorcycles, have proven to be problematic and dangerous. These new modes of transportation first became popular with youth under the legal driving age a few years ago. Since then, police and residents have voiced concern. In Draper in the last two months, there were more than one dozen accidents, some resulting in injuries serious enough for emergency response and hospitalization.

“Recently, an accident occurred when a juvenile was speeding and lost control of the scooter, hitting the sidewalk. The juvenile was not wearing a helmet and was injured pretty badly, but fortunately avoided a potentially fatal head injury by inches,” said a September statement from the Draper Police Department.

Policing youth on scooters and other vehicles puts local law enforcement in a predicament. When electric scooters first started appearing around town with youth operating them illegally, police asked the city council if they really wanted officers pulling young kids over and ticketing them. Officers knew that would be upsetting to all involved, and yet laws were being broken with potential safety repercussions. More recently, some kids have been known to flee from police who try to stop and educate them. “When we try to stop them, they run from us. Obviously, we’re not going to pursue them for safety reasons,” said Draper Police Lieutenant Pat Evans. They’re also damaging parks such as Bellevue Park. “They’re riding these e-motorcycles through the park and it’s destroying the grass and causing property damage,” he said.

The rise in popularity of these motorized vehicles driven by youth has led to an ever-evolving variety of them on the market coupled with variation in the power they possess and the speeds they can reach. “The evolution of the scooters and electric motorcycles has been so fast that legislation hasn’t kept up. It creates a dangerous environment when you have scooters that can go pretty fast and are only legally allowed on sidewalks, yet you can see where that can pose danger to other people with young, inexperienced drivers,” Evans said.

Further complicating the matter, some kids are modifying the power and speed capabilities of their scooters and electric motorcycles. “Kids have figured out how to modify them to go faster than they should be going,” Evans said.

The police department has tried educating youth and parents about what is and isn’t legal by putting out press releases and visiting local school parking lots. They’ve even asked kids driving electric motorcycles parked at high schools to call their parents while police are with them to explain that they’re actually illegal. “Parents aren’t realizing they are a motor vehicle and nowhere in Draper is it legal for them to be driven by an unlicensed driver. Further, they should pass all safety requirements of a motor vehicle (such as turn signals, horn, etc.) and they should be registered and insured just as you would a motorcycle,” Evans said. Without meeting those legal requirements, electric motorcycles can be impounded.

“Most parents have been receptive, but the common theme is that they didn’t know it was illegal and the kids have raised the money to buy it themselves, so there’s some guilt about taking it away,” Evans said.

It’s not just high school age youth driving motorized vehicles to school. “Elementary and junior high kids have been seen riding in the roadway like a vehicle and they don’t have the proper training or experience. Often times, they have improper safety equipment such as a bicycle helmet or no helmet rather than a motorcycle helmet,” Evans said. 

The police department frequently receives calls reporting improper use of scooters and other motorized vehicles, primarily by juveniles. “Currently, it’s one of our most frequent complaints from the community,” Evans said.

Draper Police share these safety tips and Utah code related to scooters and other forms of electric transportation with youth and their parents:

Kids over eight can ride scooters on sidewalks, but they are not allowed to go over 15 mph.

If your scooter or e-bike does not have pedals, you must ride it on the sidewalk; it cannot be on the road. Do not ride in the roadway for any reason other than crossing crosswalks. 

It is against the law to ride electric motorcycles on public roads (including sidewalks), city parks and trails, and any private property that does not allow them.

Electric motorcycles can only be ridden on private property that allows them, on public lands that allow ATV traffic, and on public roads when they are properly equipped with headlamps, tail lamps, braking systems, reflectors, turn signals, a horn, rearview mirrors, a speedometer, a license plate. They must be registered, insured and driven by a licensed driver.

Anyone under 21 must wear a helmet when riding a Class 3 electric assisted bicycle or electric motorcycle. 

If you’re riding a scooter or e-bike, you must let pedestrians pass first.

If on the sidewalk, you must be mindful of others, safe and careful.

Kids should not assume that vehicles see them or that vehicles are going to stop for them. They must take precautions to make sure they’re seen. 

Golf carts are illegal to operate on Draper roads, sidewalks and trails. They can only be driven on golf courses.

“We’re not trying to stop anyone’s fun, and we know they can be fun for youth and helpful for parents as their kids are going to and from activities, but we’re always going to put safety first, so we are enforcing violations,” Evans said.