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Nolensville police outline new e‑bike enforcement, education push after crashes
Summary
Officer Josh Guin told the Town of Nolensville Board of Commissioners the police department will combine warnings, parental pickup and targeted patrols with upcoming citations for repeat offenders, citing juvenile crashes, greenway complaints and a plan for public education events.
Officer Josh Guin, speaking for the town police department, told the Board of Commissioners on March 5 that e‑bike safety has become a pressing local public‑safety issue and described a two‑phase enforcement and education strategy.
Guin said Tennessee law distinguishes three classes of e‑bikes that must have functional pedals, a motor no larger than 750 watts and a maximum speed of 28 miles per hour; riders under 14 cannot operate certain classes. He drew a sharp contrast with what he called “eDirt bikes,” motorcycles without pedals that he said commonly exceed 5,000 watts and can be modified to reach speeds of 40–80 mph. Guin said those vehicles are treated under Tennessee code as motor vehicles and require registration, insurance and appropriate licensing.
The officer described several recent incidents involving juveniles: four bicycle‑related responses in his career, including one fatality, and encounters in Nolensville where riders evaded officers or rode at speeds that endangered pedestrians and drivers. He identified recurring problem locations—Newsom Lane, the Publix/rec center area, Sunset pedestrian paths and Rocky Fork crosswalk—as priorities for roving patrols and UTV/UTV‑assisted trail enforcement.
Guin said the department’s initial phase emphasizes warnings, calling parents and returning bikes to caregivers; officers will escalate to citations for repeat offenders. The department is adding a bike unit, foot patrols on trails, and a Polaris UTV to pursue evaders. Education measures include brochures, social‑media campaigns, helmet‑fitting demonstrations and a planned “e‑bike safety day” with demonstrations and an expert presenter. He also proposed a “responsible rider” incentive to recognize compliant youth.
Guin cited safety data in urging helmet use, saying helmets reduce head trauma by about 30 percent in crashes. He told the board the department receives the majority of reports from residents and relies on community calls to locate problem riders. He concluded by saying the department wants to balance accessibility for young riders with pedestrian safety and that additional enforcement steps would be coming soon.
The mayor and other commissioners thanked Guin for the presentation and for the department’s outreach materials. There was no formal vote tied to the presentation; the department indicated a move from warnings toward citations for repeat offenders in the near term.
