I’ve been watching what’s happening in downtown St. Pete, and these e-bike deaths aren’t just on drivers

Let’s be real the increase in e-bike and m-bike deaths in St. Petersburg, Florida, isn’t just some random coincidence. What a lot of people don’t tell you is that this mess comes down to both the negligence of the city and the people riding these bikes. I’ve been paying attention over the last few weeks, and when you go downtown, you’ll notice something: everybody wants to make it seem like it’s always the driver’s fault. But let me be clear that’s not always true.

Most of the time, these e-bike riders are flying out in front of traffic, weaving through cars like they’re invincible. They act as if they can’t be hit, and that kind of arrogance is dangerous. When you play those games on a busy street, it can cost you your life. I’ve seen it too many times — riders cutting through lanes, ignoring red lights, and thinking they can beat the cars. And when something tragic happens, the first person blamed is the driver, even though the person on the bike might’ve been the one causing the chaos.

And it’s not just the riders. Let’s talk about the pedestrians. Downtown St. Pete is so congested now that people just walk out into the streets like they own them. They’ll step right in front of your car even when traffic is moving, and somehow it’s still the driver who gets side-eyed for being “too aggressive.” No it’s people not paying attention, plain and simple.

What frustrates me the most is that officers in the city don’t seem to have control over what’s happening. There’s barely any enforcement when it comes to pedestrians and bikers. No one’s stopping these reckless riders who speed through intersections, and no one’s ticketing the people walking into traffic. It’s as if everyone downtown has decided that traffic laws don’t apply to them unless they’re behind a steering wheel.

Let me paint a picture. You’re sitting at a red light, waiting patiently like you’re supposed to. Then out of nowhere, a cyclist zooms past you and crosses the street on red. They don’t stop, don’t look, just go. But the moment they get hit or fall, it’s automatically the car’s fault. What these riders need to understand is that they’re subject to the same traffic laws as everyone else on the road. When you’re on a bike — electric or not — you have the same obligation to stop at a light, yield when necessary, and follow the rules.

Until the city steps up and enforces the same accountability for bikers and pedestrians as they do for drivers, this cycle of tragedy is going to continue. It’s not just about reckless driving it’s about reckless riding and walking, too.