OCEAN CITY, NJ — Riding an electric bike, or e-bike, can be dangerous, as Councilman Tony Polcini discovered the hard way. After his son was hospitalized from an e-bike accident, Polcini is urging officials to ensure that all riders are wearing their helmets.
Polcini shared his story at the latest City Council meeting. His teenage son lacerated his liver and got a concussion from a recent crash, and it was “definitely an eye-opener” for Polcini.
He said he wanted to make sure that both kids and adults were wearing helmets when riding.
Find out what's happening in Ocean Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“It’s a motorized bike,” Polcini said of e-bikes. “It’s not a bicycle. It goes 30 miles an hour or more.”
He said he told his son to wear a helmet and he did wear one as he left the house, but took it off once he reached the bike path.
Find out what's happening in Ocean Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“Kids think they’re resilient,” Polcini said.
Regulations on e-bikes is a topic that’s been brought up before in Ocean City. This past summer, City Council floated the idea of banning them on the Boardwalk. But that ban was tabled after residents said the ban would be unfair to those who responsibly ride e-bikes, primarily senior citizens. Read more: Proposed E-Bike Ban Draws Complaints From Ocean City Residents
Mayor Jay Gillian said that the new police chief, Bill Campbell, and the schools were doing “more and more” to better enforce e-bike safety.
Polcini said that as a father, he would do whatever he could to make sure everyone wore helmets and rode safely.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.