Two years ago, during the first week of school, an early morning run nearly turned tragic when three silent, helmetless e-vehicles sped past me on a dimly lit sidewalk, missing me by inches. That horrifying near-miss revealed two stark truths: high-speed, reckless micro-mobility riding is an immediate danger to pedestrians—and it is equally dangerous for the children behind the handlebars.

Since that day, I have been advocating directly to both the Orange County School Board and the Board of County Commissioners, pleading for them to collaborate on a mandatory safety training certification program for Orange County student drivers and their parents. Originally, both governing bodies were patronizingly dismissive of the issue. It took launching a petition and pushing public pressure before Commissioner Wilson finally stepped forward—nine months later—to look into an Orange County ordinance establishing legal boundaries and parameters for these vehicles.

Now, two full years after this public safety crisis was first brought to their attention, we still do not have a mandatory micro-mobility safety training certification program available for student micro-mobility drivers and their parents. What we have instead is a ban.

This is not just a neighborhood nuisance—it is an urgent public safety crisis that puts children's lives at risk, as well as any pedestrian or cyclist attempting to share sidewalks and bike trails with these vehicles.

We cannot wait for another tragic, fatal accident to take action. Education and accountability must catch up with technology. Any apathy, hesitancy, or reliance on simple bans by our elected officials is irresponsible and cowardly when lives are on the line.

Why Prohibition Is Not a Solution: Education Over Bans
Banning these vehicles from school campuses does not solve the problem—it simply avoids it. Banning vehicles does not take them off our streets.

Outright bans merely push young riders off school property and into surrounding neighborhoods without any guidance, rules, or accountability. Children will continue to use micro-mobility devices to commute, visit friends, and travel to extracurricular activities.

Banning devices deprives our community of a crucial teaching moment. We must equip our youth with the knowledge and practical skills required to operate these vehicles safely and responsibly, creating habits that protect them—and everyone sharing the pathways—wherever they ride.

Our Demand:
We, the undersigned residents, parents, and community members of Orange County, urge the School Board of Orange County and the Orange County Board of County Commissioners to replace passive bans with an active, joint Micro-Mobility Safety Certification Program.

To receive a school parking permit or registration tag to ride a micro-mobility device to school, students and their parents must fulfill two core requirements:

Digital & Classroom Education: Completion of a computer-based module covering traffic laws, right-of-way rules, helmet requirements, speed management, and defensive riding techniques.
Hands-On Simulated Field Certification at Horizon West Regional Park: Practical field training at Horizon West Regional Park, where students and parents navigate simulated traffic scenarios, emergency braking drills, spatial awareness challenges, and hazard avoidance alongside certified instructors and public safety officials.

Why Parent Involvement and Practical Training Matter:
Rules on paper are not enough. Hands-on simulation provides young riders with muscle memory and real-world hazard recognition that a textbook cannot teach. Furthermore, requiring parent or guardian participation ensures that families understand the legal, mechanical, and safety implications of the vehicles they purchase for their children.

By utilizing the open, flexible infrastructure at Horizon West Regional Park, Orange County has a prime opportunity to create a regional hub for community safety and hands-on learning.

Protect Our Kids, Protect Our Streets:
Our goal is not to eliminate active transportation or penalize students, but to ensure our youth have the skills, knowledge, and maturity required to navigate our roadways, sidewalks, and multi-use trails safely. Two years of delay and temporary bans is enough.

Sign this petition today to demand that Orange County leaders fulfill their obligation to student and pedestrian safety through mandatory, practical education before another neighbor is injured.