ST. GEORGE — A juvenile on an electric motorcycle riding on a sidewalk on Sunland Drive hit a car coming out of the driveway of a parking lot Friday morning.
St. George Police officer Doug Jacox told St. George News a 14-year-old male hit the car when the driver didn’t see him due to bushes and a brick wall. Jacox said the incident occurred at 11:30 a.m. and there were no injuries other than the teenager cutting his hand.
Tiffany Mitchell, public information officer for St. George Police, confirmed to St. George News that the 45-year-old female driver of a Jeep Cherokee was cited for operating a vehicle without a driver’s license and lack of insurance. Her 2017 Jeep Cherokee was towed.
Mitchell said the police department has been reminding parents for the past two years that all riders of electric motorcycles like the popular Surron need to be licensed. This year, the force will be citing unlicensed riders.
“My guess is that this is going to be more and more of an occurrence,” Mitchell said. “We are cracking down on kids driving that shouldn’t be. They should have a driver’s license and the e-motorbike should be licensed and insured.
“We’re taking action on those as we come across them. We encourage parents to look into the law and make sure that they’re doing everything legal before they’re handing over the e-motorcycles to underage kids.”
According to the Utah Division of Natural Resources website, state law requires specific safety requirements for off-road vehicles such as electric motorcycles. These types of riders must wear certified helmets.
Some people mistakenly assume that electric motorcycles can travel the same pathways as bicycles and e-bikes, leading to a need for clarification on the rules and regulations governing their use. The website states that adults must complete the free education course to operate an off-road vehicle, including off-highway electric motorcycles on public lands. The new education course was launched at the beginning of 2023 to increase rider knowledge and safety and to help preserve access.
Visit the off-road-vehicles program’s website for more information on where e-bikes and e-motorcycle riders are allowed.
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