Hilliard will require all riders under 18 to wear helmets on any road, sidewalk or shared-use path starting Wednesday, Sept. 23.

The new ordinance also gives police authority to impound e-bikes and charge parents with misdemeanors for repeat violations.

Hilliard City Council voted 6-0 on Aug. 24 to approve Ordinance 26-17, amending Chapter 373 of the city's codified ordinances. The rules cover bicycles, e-bikes, scooters and other low-speed mobility devices.

Councilwoman Cynthia Vermillion was absent.

Previously, the city required helmets only for riders on Class 3 e-bikes, NBC4 reported. The new law extends that mandate to all riders younger than 18 on any device.

Class 3 e-bikes, which provide pedal assistance up to 28 mph, are now banned from most bike paths and shared-use paths unless a path runs alongside a road or the city separately authorizes their use. Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, which top out at 20 mph, remain allowed on streets and shared-use paths.

Class 3 operators must be at least 16 years old. E-bikes may ride on sidewalks only when the motor is off. Devices that do not meet Ohio's definitions for e-bikes or low-speed mobility devices, including electric motorcycles and some modified e-bikes, may not be operated on public streets, paths or in parks.

Parents or guardians who "recklessly" allow a child to violate the rules face a minor misdemeanor on a first offense. A second offense within one year rises to a fourth-degree misdemeanor. Each additional offense in that window is a third-degree misdemeanor.

Law Director Thad Boggs told council the word "recklessly" was chosen deliberately, placing the standard below "purposefully" and "knowingly" but above "negligently" on the criminal-culpability scale, the Hilliard Beacon reported.

Police also gain explicit authority to impound any device used in a violation. When the device belongs to a juvenile, officers may hold it until a parent or guardian picks it up.

Signs went up this summer at Hilliard's Station Park and First Responders Park reminding riders that e-bikes, scooters and other motorized devices are prohibited inside city parks. Riders passing through must stay in designated bike lanes.

Councilman Greg Betts, who sponsored the ordinance, said he introduced it after hearing from residents. "I am hearing a lot from constituents about how, and where, the kids are using these," Betts said in a July 28 Hilliard Beacon article. He said constituents described young teens weaving through pedestrians near Station Park.

City Manager Josh Rauch signaled at the Aug. 24 meeting that the ordinance is a first step. Councilman Andy Teater agreed, saying the rules do not go far enough.

The city plans a community forum to gather feedback before drafting additional regulations. As we reported Sept. 18, that meeting is set for Oct. 13. The city said it will also work with Hilliard City Schools to educate students about safe riding.