LAYTON — Low-profile motorized vehicles, also known as pocket bikes, are now banned from all public property in Layton, including streets and sidewalks.
The City Council on Thursday passed an ordinance prohibiting the bikes and all other motorized vehicles less than 30 inches tall, following numerous complaints from residents.
Pocket bikes, popular with youngsters and even some adults, came on the scene this summer. The issue, according to Mayor Jerry Stevenson and Police Chief Terry Keefe and many residents who have called both men, is one of safety.
"Kids are kids and they rarely think of safety or hazards," Keefe said. "The last minibike I saw go down the road between 35-40 mph had a teenage driver on it wearing flip-flops, no helmet and his feet were about four inches off the ground."
The pocket bikes, especially, can accelerate rapidly and reach speeds of up to 40 mph, but even adults sitting on them are hard to see, putting the riders at risk of being hit by regular vehicular traffic.
The bikes, sold at many auto parts stores, are small versions of regular motorcycles and of the type circus clowns ride.
Councilman Steve Handy said the city has received many complaints during the summer about pocket bike riders zipping around town, making drivers nervous.
"We had a lot of people come to City Council meetings and the chief of police has taken a lot of calls," he said.
Keefe said the parents who called wanted information and were not mad at police for getting the bikes off the streets.
"Nobody's called us jerks," he said.
Because the minibikes have engines of less than 50 cubic centimeters, they are not governed by state law, so it is up to individual communities to regulate them, Handy said.
"They're very noisy, very dangerous and very popular," he said.
The City Council had Keefe and the city attorney examine the issue during the summer and develop an ordinance to regulate them, as well as go-carts. Handy said Layton's ordinance is a bit stiffer than the other Davis County cities. But Layton, as the county's largest city, has more of a problem with them.
The motorized scooters, on which youngsters ride standing up, are more visible to motorists and the city will continue to allow them on city property, including streets. But according to the state law that governs their use, the riders must be under the immediate supervision of a parent.
Since public property primarily means streets and sidewalks, Handy expects minibike riders will take their cruising to private parking lots from now on.
The penalty for operating prohibited vehicles on city property is a class C misdemeanor and could result in a $750, fine with repeat offenders having their go-carts or minibikes impounded, Handy said.
Both Handy and Assistant City Attorney Steve Garside said the ordinance would be used to educate residents and riders, with police expected to stop riders and inform them of the ordinance at least for a while before writing tickets.
"Unless their behavior is creating a problem, or we stop the same rider more than once, we won't be writing tickets," Keefe said. "In fairness to our residents, it's always best to do an educational campaign."
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