Riding an E-Bike to School in Volusia County? There's Now a Required Safety Course for That

As e-bikes and e-scooters have become an increasingly common way for students to get to and from school, Volusia County Schools has rolled out a new requirement aimed at keeping young riders safe: a mandatory safety course called Ride Smart VCS.

What the program requires

Any student who wants to ride an e-bike or e-scooter onto a Volusia County Schools campus must first complete the free Ride Smart VCS E-Ride Safety Course and receive a permit sticker for their device. Students who were already riding at the start of the school year had until Aug. 21 to complete the course; after that date, a completed course and permit sticker became mandatory before a student can bring either device to campus.

The district has described the program as designed to help students ride “safely, legally, and with confidence,” pairing safety education with a permitting system that gives the district a way to track which devices have gone through the training.

Part of a bigger regional debate

Volusia County Schools’ approach stands in contrast to a more contentious path taken in nearby Deltona, where the city passed an ordinance banning anyone under 18 from riding e-bikes, e-scooters, or mopeds. That ordinance has drawn pushback from Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, who has said his office has no plans to enforce it, arguing it conflicts with state law and questioning its legal footing given that 15-year-olds can already obtain a learner’s permit to drive a car.

Rather than a ban, the school district has leaned into an education-first approach, working alongside the Sheriff’s Office on the Ride Smart program as a way to address safety concerns without prohibiting the devices outright. A spokesperson for the district previously called Deltona’s ordinance a “city matter,” noting enforcement decisions rest with the city, not the school system.

Why the concern in the first place

The push toward more structured e-bike rules isn’t unique to Volusia County. Across Central Florida, school districts have been grappling with a rapid rise in student e-bike and e-scooter use, and with it, rising concerns about safety. Some e-bikes can be illegally modified to reach speeds of 60 to 80 mph, according to law enforcement officials in neighboring counties, putting young riders without a driver’s license in control of something capable of moving far faster than a standard bicycle.

Orthopedic and brain injuries tied to e-bike and e-scooter accidents have also been on the rise among younger riders regionally, driving increased attention to helmet use and rider training.

What parents should know

Families with students riding e-bikes or e-scooters to a Volusia County Schools campus should confirm their student has completed the Ride Smart VCS course and has the required permit sticker displayed on their device. More information on the program is available through the Volusia County Schools website under its Safety and Security resources.