Delaware County State Sen. Tim Kearney introduced legislation Tuesday in the Pennsylvania Senate that would prohibit children under the age of 16 from riding e-scooters.
SB1008, known as Abby’s Law, was introduced in honor of Abigail Gillon, a 12-year-old Aston girl who died in June from an accident involving an electric scooter, writes Robert Moran for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Abigail was riding an e-scooter with her friend, 11-year-old Isabella Jones, when they were struck by a vehicle. Abigail was killed, and Isabella was critically injured.
The bill would also require helmets for riders ages 16 and 17, prohibit more than one rider per e-scooter, require riders to follow bicycle traffic rules, and set a statewide e-scooter speed limit of 20mph.
Municipalities could pass their own ordinances with stiffer penalties for underage violators.
The bill has bipartisan support, with two Republican cosponsors, Sens. Devlin J. Robinson and Elder A. Vogel Jr. Sen. Kearney is a Democrat.
“As a father, I believe keeping children safe should never be a partisan issue,” Kearney said in a statement. “Abby’s Law creates commonsense protections that I am confident will earn broad support on both sides of the aisle.”
Read more about Abby’s Law in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
