O'Fallon police present ordinance to ban high‑powered 'motorized play vehicles' from streets, sidewalks and parks

Lieutenant Jeff Cook of the O'Fallon Police Department told the Public Works Advisory Committee on June 17 that the department drafted an ordinance to define and prohibit ‘‘motorized play vehicles’’ after a surge of calls and several recent injuries.

"Motorized play vehicle includes devices commonly referred to as mini motorcycles, pocket bikes, motorized scooters, electric skateboards including one wheels, go‑karts, and any other vehicle that is capable of transporting a person at an excess of 5 miles per hour that is self‑propelled by a motor or engine and is not otherwise defined in Missouri Revised Statute or Municipal Code..." Cook read during the presentation, adding that mobility devices for people with disabilities are excluded.

The department compiled roughly 262 juvenile‑related calls for service tied to these devices, Cook said, with about 8 percent involving accidents. He described recent incidents in which riders were transported for injury — including one rider who was unconscious for more than 30 seconds — and noted officers have observed devices whose motors exceed common statutory measures.

To separate legal electric bicycles from higher‑powered devices, Cook said the draft ordinance treats the electric equivalent of about 49 cc as 2,237 watts. "So if a parent is at home trying to figure out what their kid has, you should be able to look at any device you've purchased, and there will be a label ... that says exactly what the wattage is," he said.

Under the draft, motorized play vehicles would be prohibited on any street, highway, roadway or sidewalk in the City of O'Fallon and within the boundaries of city parks. The proposal would allow officers to issue traffic summonses to people 15½ and older; juveniles younger than that would be handled through juvenile court procedures. The draft also added a parental‑responsibility provision allowing a maximum fine of $500 where a guardian "fails to exercise effective control over a minor, resulting in multiple violations."

Cook said vehicles may be towed — either returned to a residence at the owner's expense or towed to a contracted tow yard — and that the department worked with the city attorney in drafting the language.

Officer Nicole Savant, a patrol officer who worked on the ordinance research, clarified technical and enforcement points. She said Class 1 and Class 2 e‑bikes that have pedals are limited to 750 watts and remain legal when they meet that standard; many of the devices the city is seeing lack pedals and exceed wattage limits. She also told residents to call the O'Fallon Police Department non‑emergency line at 636‑240‑3200 or request an extra patrol if they observe groups of these vehicles in neighborhoods.

The committee asked several clarifying questions about gas‑powered mini‑bikes, golf carts and enforcement. Savant said gas‑powered pocket bikes that lack plates are already illegal under motorcycle statutes and that golf cart operation is addressed elsewhere in code (generally limited to multi‑use paths wider than 6 feet). Committee members thanked police for the presentation; no final vote on the ordinance was recorded at the meeting.

Next steps: the Police Department and city attorney will continue to refine ordinance language and city staff indicated any sidewalk or bicycle‑code changes tied to the proposal would require additional code amendments and Council action.