WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., has begun an outreach push aimed at people who ride e-bikes and e-scooters, with officers handing out safety fliers in busy parts of the District starting Friday.
Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said the department plans to spend the rest of the year teaching riders the rules of the road. Early stops took place in Chinatown, and the effort centers on high-traffic spots such as the U Street corridor and Navy Yard before reaching other neighborhoods.
The campaign follows a sharp rise in deaths on District streets. Carroll put the count at 34 traffic deaths so far this year, up from 21 at the same point last year. Nine of those deaths involved e-bikes, stand-up e-scooters or mopeds.
One was Talib Shakir, 50, director of the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs, who died Oct. 9 after his scooter collided with another rider at 8th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Police said neither rider wore a helmet, and the crash remains under investigation.
Carroll reminded riders that red lights and stop signs apply to them, and that in the central business district bikes and scooters belong in the street, not on sidewalks. Helmets are not required for riders 16 and older, but he urged everyone to wear one. The department is also working with District leaders on possible rule changes, and residents can report reckless riding at (202) 727-9099 or by texting 50411.
Section: More Washington DC crime news
Filed under: Washington DC Traffic News
