Police present draft helmet ordinance for riders under 18 as e-bike use rises; council to consider first reading July 20

Gahanna's police and public safety leaders on July 6 presented a draft ordinance that would require helmet use for riders under age 18 on bicycles, electric bicycles and powered scooters and asked council to consider the measure for first reading.

The chief said the proposal would add a new section to the traffic code to standardize helmet use across device classes and to include parent or guardian language. He noted the city's educational partnerships with local retailers, Nationwide Children's Hospital and area bike shops and said the enforcement approach will emphasize education and warnings, reserving citations or other actions for repeated noncompliance. "It's an educational outreach," the chief said, adding the department sometimes impounds devices involved in repeat violations that include other traffic-code offenses.

Council members asked several practical questions: how enforcement would work in the street, whether class 3 e-bikes have speedometers and how assisted-mobility devices (electric wheelchairs and mobility aids) fit into the code. The chief said many class 3 devices are linked to apps that function as speed displays and that assisted mobility devices are treated separately and remain permitted on sidewalks.

Council also discussed resources for helmets and outreach to youth groups; the chief said the department has distributed helmets, worked with community partners and plans additional school- and summer-camp outreach. Several council members thanked the department for drafting the ordinance, calling it a public-safety measure a parent can point to as a legal requirement rather than an advisory recommendation.

What happens next: council set the proposed helmet ordinance for first reading on July 20 and indicated it will consider placement on a future consent list for subsequent action after standard committee or public-notice steps.