'Plague on the streets.' Serious motorized scooter crash in Norwalk sparks renewed discussion over roadway safety
The collision occurred Sunday on Water Street and resulted in a pair of 16-year-olds getting sent to the hospital.
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A serious crash between a motorized scooter and an SUV in Norwalk is sparking renewed discussion over roadway safety.
The collision occurred Sunday on Water Street and resulted in a pair of 16-year-olds getting sent to the hospital. Neither of the teens was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
"Kids are getting hurt, people are getting hit by cars," Norwalk resident Mark Milus says. "Honestly, I think they're a plague on the streets."
Norwalk police said one of the teens sustained life-threatening injuries during the crash.
Lt. Ramon Tejada said, as of Wednesday, that teen is in stable condition.
But with so many different types of e-bikes and electric and motorized scooters on the roads these days, it can be hard to know what the rules are.
"I personally have no idea," Norwalk resident Noelle Parisi says. "I just see the situation is bad and it seems to be getting worse."
Det. Jeffrey Holtz of the Bridgeport Police Department says any e-bike weighing less than 100 pounds with a top speed of 20 mph is basically considered a bicycle.
"Follow the rules of riding a bicycle on the road with traffic: obey stop signs and traffic lights," Holtz says. "We would hope and suggest that you wear a helmet."
State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff says it's up to lawmakers to make sure they keep up as technology changes.
"We need to make sure that in the state of Connecticut, we are tightening up those rules, which we have done," Duff says, "But we need to make sure that there's enforcement in place as well."
Any e-bike that goes over 750 watts is considered a motor-driven cycle, Holtz says, which requires a valid driver's license.
When one gets up to 3700 watts, Holtz says that's considered a motorcycle by the state, and both riders and passengers under the age of 18 are required to wear helmets.
Electric and motorized Scooters have their own rules too, depending on the number of CCs.
"There was a recent incident in Norwalk where that was a scooter," Holtz says. "According to our traffic division, most of the scooters that we're seeing out there right now in Bridgeport are 125 CCs. That is a motorcycle... it's not a motor-driven scooter. You need a license, you need registration, and insurance."
Towns and cities may have specific ordinances in addition to state law.
At the end of the day, it comes down to enforcement in each municipality, which Holtz says can be tricky in Bridgeport.
"Because of the safety of the public," Holtz says, "We are not going to pursue a bicycle, we are not going to pursue a scooter, or a motorcycle because it creates a danger to the public as well as a danger to the rider."
