Forsyth sheriff warns parents as kids ride e-bikes too fast

Parents in Forsyth County are being put on notice: if a child is tearing down a neighborhood street on an e-bike or e-motorcycle, deputies are no longer treating it like a harmless ride. Sheriff Ron Freeman said his office will document violations, contact parents and move to more serious consequences if unsafe riding keeps happening.

Freeman pointed to a recent stop on Post Road in Cumming, where he said a child was passing a car on the right while traveling 45 mph. That kind of speed, on a road shared with regular traffic, is the behavior Freeman says is pushing the county toward a preventable tragedy. The sheriff’s warning is aimed at riders who are using electric bikes and electric motorcycles in places where they do not belong, or without understanding the rules that apply to each type of vehicle.

Georgia law draws a clear line on Class III electric assisted bicycles. Under state code, they are pedal-assist only and must cut off at 28 mph. Riders must be at least 15, and anyone operating or riding as a passenger must wear a bicycle helmet. Class I and Class II e-bikes may generally be used on bicycle paths and shared-use paths where bicycles are allowed, but Class III bikes face tighter restrictions on those paths.

E-motorcycles are a different category altogether. They can reach 45 mph or more and require licensing and registration, which is why law enforcement is pressing families not to confuse them with ordinary bicycles or even standard e-bikes. Todd Muller of Reality Bikes said sidewalk riding is not what the equipment is built for, and riders need to stay on the road and follow traffic laws.

Forsyth County’s sheriff’s office has also published an E-Bike 101 page that lays out the laws, rules and regulations, and the traffic unit can speak to groups that want a presentation. That matters because the problem is showing up on neighborhood streets and sidewalks, where young riders are mixing with regular traffic and creating real crash risk.

The concern is not limited to Forsyth. ABC News reported in late 2025 that federal e-bike regulations remain sparse, leaving states and counties to fill the gap. The American College of Surgeons said in June 2025 that e-bike use has been tied to a growing number of serious injuries, especially among children and adolescents. Roswell police have also reported more crashes involving children on e-bikes and e-motorcycles, underscoring that north metro agencies are treating this as a safety issue, not a novelty.