There has been a recent uptick in observed violations and citizen complaints regarding the usage of electric bikes in Mineral Point.
The Mineral Point Police Department would like to remind children and adults about proper bicycle safety while operating e-bikes. E-bikes fall under the same state statutes as bicycles. Some of the statutes are common ones, such as following the rules of the road by stopping at stop signs. Bicycles and e-bikes must ride as close as possible to the right-hand edge of the curb unless turning or if there are obstructions blocking the way. When riding during hours of darkness there must be a headlamp capable of emitting white light at least 500 feet to the front, and there must be a red reflector to the rear. However, it would be safer to have a tail lamp emitting red light.
There are a few statutes specific to e-bikes. One of the statutes speaks to the classification system of the bikes which says that “No person under the age of 16 years may operate a class 3 bicycle.” So how do you know if you or your child have a class 3 e-bike? There will be a sticker that will say the classification number of the e-bike along with motor wattage and the speed at which the motor will stop providing power. A good indicator that the e-bike is probably class 3 is if it goes faster than 22 mph using just the motor to power it.
While the Mineral Point Police Department will be on the lookout for safety violations, we believe that education is more important in helping to solve the safety issues that have been observed. As always, helmet usage is strongly encouraged.
On 5/11/23 our department shared information in raising awareness on how to better prevent Fentanyl use within our youth and shared a link to learn more https://www.addicted.org/news/parents-guide-to-fentanyl/
In continuing to raise awareness, we are attaching another great resource to complement the Parent's Guide to Fentanyl:
Protecting Children From Online Drug Dealers: This resource provides essential tools to safeguard children online, including the risks of social media, the "Emoji code" to identify online drug dealing, insights into the dark web, and other online safety measures. It also has an informative video that goes in-depth about this subject. These resources have a Printable 3-fold pamphlet available in English and Spanish as well.
Considering the ever-growing amount of students using vape products, we have provided the below resources for both parents and youth to make informed decisions on the matter.
A Parent’s Guide to Vaping: This comprehensive guide equips parents with valuable information, including the dangers of vaping nicotine, knowing what to look for in vaping designs, including and interactive ''can you spot the vapes'' image, the health effects of vaping nicotine and helpful articles. It empowers parents to protect their children from the dangers of vaping and make informed decisions regarding its use.
Vaping: Understanding the Risk & Tips to Avoid Use: This resource provides essential information on the risks associated with vaping nicotine products, nicotine addiction, tools to handle peer pressure from others, and other online resources to help with vaping.