Fatal mini bike crash, rise in street takeovers causes city officials to take action
A growing trend has caught the attention of Los Angeles city officials and law enforcement, as dozens of individuals gather to perform drag racing and street takeover - all while on mini bikes and in go karts.
The trend, while fun for many, is extremely dangerous, as evidenced by a fatal crash in Chatsworth Tuesday evening.
Riders are aware of the jeopardy they place themselves in while riding these bikes, including Ali Yousefi, who rides an electric bike himself but has several friends who ride mini bikes.
"Should people be concerned about them?" Yousef asked. "They should be more (concerned) about safety gear. ... about lights, they should have honks, they should have all sorts of safety, that's for sure."
These safety concerns, paired with the traditional concerns that come with street takeovers are causing law enforcement officials to increase patrols in commonly targeted areas -- normally along Pacific Coast Highway.
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They continued to detail that there is no roadway or city within Los Angeles County limits where riding mini bikes is legal, especially the ones that are modified to increase horsepower and travel at higher speeds.
"When you take over a city street that's meant for motorized vehicles and you mix in these small bikes, it's a recipe for disaster," an LAPD official said.
Malibu City Councilman Steve Uhring has also taken notice as the seemingly weekly events are posing a threat not only to the riders of these bikes, but to the public.
"Driving a car fast is one thing, at least you've got some metal around you if you get in an accident," he said. "These minibikes going 100 miles per hour hit the road, there's no protection. So I'm surprised more people haven't been injured."
The riders of the bikes can often be seen performing donuts and stunts, surrounded by other attendees at the takeovers, similar to when regular cars perform street takeovers.
And just like the latter, the safety concerns are outrageously high and cumbersome - often blocking traffic in the surrounding area.
Uhring thinks he knows where the sudden rise in mini bike riders came from.
"When the pandemic hit, fewer and fewer people (were) on the roads." he said. "It opened up the roads and there was more room, so these people with fast cars and mini bikes decided there was an opportunity for them to do something and that's what they're doing."
Regardless of the reason, authorities are looking to put a stop to the trend before it gets out of hand and more people get hurt. Since the takeovers traditionally occur at night on the weekends, they're increasing patrols in other popular areas where street racing teams and car clubs are said to frequent.
