Residents on Padre Island are raising concerns about young people and teenagers riding electric bikes and electric scooters in ways they consider dangerous, both for the young riders and for drivers navigating island roads.
"I do not want to hit someone else's child. It's a safety concern for them as well. Some of the times they have helmets on, sometimes they don't," Amanda Lee, a Padre Island neighbor, said.
Lee described seeing teens congregating in busy roadways, creating potential hazards for themselves and drivers.
"They're at the stop signs at Gypsy and Whitecap and they are in the middle of the roads, discussing plans, having conversations, using all of the lanes, toggling between lanes" Lee said.
Medical professionals share these same safety concerns. Dr. Peter Coldwell of Surepoint Emergency Center on the island has witnessed the consequences of reckless riding firsthand throughout his career.
"It's very disturbing. And I chuckle, because I have seen the consequences in my 30 years as a physician," Coldwell said.
Dr. Coldwell emphasized that he does not want to see patients in his emergency room suffering from preventable injuries caused by unsafe riding practices.
Island residents believe the situation is becoming increasingly problematic.
"I'm not gonna tell anyone how to parent but I just think it's irresponsible for the people who are legally driving, and for those who are somebody else's kids," Lee added.
The Corpus Christi Police Department confirms that riders of all vehicles must follow traffic laws.
"Anyone operating anything whether it's a scooter, e-bike, regular bicycle, are supposed to travel and obey traffic, are supposed to obey traffic laws, like a normal car," said Senior Officer Antonio Contreras with the Corpus Christi Police Department.
Island neighbors say they simply want to see changes in behavior before someone gets seriously injured.
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