Articles Tagged with micromobility devices

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Leesfield & Partners’ Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, has admonished the lack of regulations related to the use of micromobility devices since at least 2019.

Nearly a decade later, and Florida lawmakers have crafted much-needed regulations and an exploratory task force to track crashes and other incidents that will go into effect on July 1 if signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“It’s an unregulated problem, which is only getting exponentially worse, really exponentially worse,” Mr. Leesfield told ABC 7’s Juliana Narvaez.

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Police in Martin County, Florida, are shifting from education to an “enforcement phase” after they allege illegal activity and unsafe e-bike riding in the area, according to local media.

“Our Traffic Unit, COP, and Road Patrol deputies have worked to educate riders and parents on the laws governing e-bike use and the importance of safe operation,” officials with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in an online statement Monday, April 27. “Despite those efforts, we continue to receive numerous complaints from residents regarding reckless and unlawful behavior—particularly involving juveniles.”

Police say the complaints have ranged from a disregard for traffic laws and designated areas, riders operating illegal e-bikes, and citizen harassment.

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As Ira Leesfield, Founder and Managing Partner of Leesfield & Partners, continues to sound the alarm on e-bike-related injuries, the trend shows no signs of slowing in South Florida.

“This isn’t about banning innovation, it’s about protecting people,” said the National Board of Trial Advocacy–certified attorney.

Data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission showed that there were 117,600 injuries from these devices treated in emergency rooms from 2017 to 2021. In that time, 25% of these incidents involved young people from 15 to 24 years old. From 2020 to 2021, the agency found that there was a 66% increase in injuries as the popularity of these devices continued to soar.

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One person died and another was injured after the e-bike they were riding on Tuesday morning was hit by a car on the Julia Tuttle Causeway.

The crash happened around 3:05 a.m., just before entering Miami Beach near the Alton Road exit. A white Ford sedan crashed into an e-bike carrying two people, shutting down the eastbound lane for hours and causing traffic delays.

Both passengers on the e-bike were taken to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. At least one person died and the other is in critical condition, according to local media.

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A minor is facing criminal charges after a 54-year-old bicyclist was killed in a crash on Friday night, according to Miami police.

The crash happened on the Rickenbacker Causeway, the bridge connecting the island of Key Biscayne to the mainland, around 8:20 p.m. The bicyclist who was killed was identified in reporting from The Miami Herald as Fabian Moses.

Both Moses and the minor were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital for treatment. Moses later died from his injuries, and the minor was treated for facial injuries.

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Officers from the Port St. Lucie Police Department say that approximately 50 people came to town for a planned “street takeover” in the area, with some even traveling from Palm Beach and Tampa.

When the “lawless” brigade arrived, however, officers were ready to greet them.

The incident happened over the weekend after police discovered chatter online about a planned meetup near SW Village Parkway and SW Crosstown Parkway. Those who showed up included both minors and adults.

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Leesfield & Partners’ Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, has been an outspoken advocate for regulating the use of E-bikes and E-scooters throughout communities and now, years later, officials are heeding his warning.

The University of Miami recently announced a plan to tighten restrictions on personal mobility devices on campus. E-bikes and E-scooters will be banned from sidewalks, breezeways, the Foote Green and other pedestrian areas starting Tuesday, Aug. 19. Undergraduate classes for the fall 2025 semester are scheduled to begin on Monday, Aug. 18, according to the university’s online calendar.

The move at the University of Miami was made to tighten these restrictions are a part of a safety campaign started by the school’s Parking and Transportation Department after a “growing number” of pedestrian collisions, blocked emergency routes and battery fires, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. The issues with student drivers flagged in the article — riders distracted by cellphones, blaring music and zooming through pedestrian areas — are all concerns raised by Mr. Leesfield when he first warned against their use in 2019.

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