LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A group of Las Vegas students at a school rocked by tragedy are stepping up to help their peers pledge e-bike and e-scooter safety while riding to or from school.
More than 340 children have been struck by cars along commutes in the 2025-2026 school year, according to CCSD Police data; 12-year-old Haylee Ryan of Lied STEM Academy lost her life after a crash with a school bus. She is among several students who have lost their lives over the past ten months.
Monday, a team of students at Lied STEM Academy helped hundreds of their peers sign a pledge: to wear helmets on mobility or e-devices, and obey the rules of the road.
“Some [classmates] ride bikes and e-scooters, and some of them don’t always wear helmets. I just want to make sure that they stay safe with everything going on,” said sixth grader Grayson Malich Paster, who helped pass out pledge cars to students after school.
Around 1,400 “pledge” cards went out among the student body, according to Principal Kelly Thorson.
“From talking with staff, I would say 90% of our students took it seriously and had good conversations in class and signed the card. Hopefully, that message also goes home and contributes to conversations they have at home,” Thorson said.
“We want to make sure that our students and our families don’t have to deal with tragedy,” the principal said. “The cars aren’t always paying attention and doing everything they need to keep you safe. You have responsibility as a person, a pedestrian, as a bike rider, as a scooter rider, to make sure that you’re doing what you need to be safe,” he said.
The “pledge” effort is one of the missions of the new Las Vegas Youth Advisory Council, according to Councilwoman Nancy Brune; a national grant given to the council helps with the mission of peer-to-peer education on e-bike and e-scooter safety.
“A lot of times young people get their e-bikes and e-scooters without actually knowing the rules of the road, and so we’re raising awareness among young people,” Brune said. The pledge cards share details on ordinances from the City and Clark County, sidewalk and street laws, speed limits and even fines.
“Research shows that the best way of changing behavior among young people is when they learn from their peers. That peer-to-peer learning and education is actually more powerful than a teacher or your parent or an old person telling them what to do,” she said.
Dangerous drivers and speeding through school zones remains a chronic problem across the Valley. Brune said the city is working with Marshals, Metro Police and CCSD Police to crack down on reckless drivers.
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