Plymouth police say they received a flurry of complaints about ebikes after the Independent reported in June that teenagers were illegally riding the electric vehicles all over town, terrifying pedestrians, endangering themselves, and harassing motorists.
On May 30, two teens — one 14, the other 15 — got into a head-on crash along the Plymouth waterfront. They were riding tandem on an e-bike when they allegedly swerved to avoid a truck taking a left turn from the southbound lane of Water Street into the turnaround by Plymouth Rock.
The bike careened across the road, striking a Jeep head on, and becoming lodged under its front bumper, according to police. The teens were injured. The driver and passenger in the Jeep were not.
The bike, police said, was a Surron Light Bee X, with a price tag of more than $4,000 and an advertised speed of up to 46 mph. It is not permitted on public streets in the town or across the state, according to police, though many people may not have known that before the story was posted.
In the weeks just before and immediately after the Independent story, police received 109 complaints— 77 of which followed the story’s publication.
But since July 15, the department has received only 11 complaints, officials said, possibly a sign that fewer kids are operating the bikes on public roads.
Police captain Marc Higgins believes people are complaining less because they are becoming more aware of e-bikes and the rules that apply to them.
“There is no indication that the problem is getting worse,” he said.
Anecdotally, people have reported seeing fewer of the bikes racing around Plymouth, especially in the downtown area.
Earlier in the year and in 2024, police logged an increasing number of calls about kids riding the expensive and potentially dangerous bikes in public areas, frightening motorists and pedestrians, not to mention putting themselves at risk. Sometimes the bike operators were belligerent and confrontational.
Police had received hundreds of calls since the spring of 2024 for “erratic operation by juveniles of Surron vehicles downtown,” according to the report from the May 30 accident.
Some e-bikes are classified as street legal if they have pedals and can go no faster than 25 mph.
A 13-year-old boy, Gage Lavoie, was riding such a bike when he was seriously injured in June 21 accident. Lavoie was struck by a car at the intersection of White Horse and Rocky Hill roads, according to police. He suffered multiple broken bones and internal bleeding, according to news reports.
He is now recovering — and is home from the hospital, according to a video posted on the All Things Plymouth Facebook page on Aug. 3.
The boy faces extensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy, his mother wrote.
In June, Plymouth police issued a public service announcement warning that electric, pedal-less bikes are considered recreational vehicles and are not legal for use on public ways.
Even off road, drivers are supposed to comply with certain rules — they must wear a state-approved helmet, anyone under 18 must complete a safety course, and younger children are prohibited from operating without adult supervision.
“These restrictions are in place to protect both riders and the public,” police wrote. “We ask parents and guardians to be aware of the laws and speak with their children about the proper and legal use of these vehicles.”
Police, however, had not been strictly enforcing the laws up until then. They have the authority to issue tickets — as much as $250 apiece.
“We want to try education first,” Higgins said at the time. “We want to give people the benefit of the doubt.”
It seems education may be working.
Andrea Estes can be reached at andrea@plymouthindependent.org.