The intersections in Marquette’s downtown on a weekday are largely empty, relatively speaking, as the hour approaches 6 p.m., after the 5 p.m. traffic glut has cleared.

It’s a good thing, too, because a handful of random passersby recently were ringside to a near miss involving an e-bike and automobile, a proverbial close encounter that could have had tragic consequences but luckily didn’t.

The e-bike in question was southbound coming down the hill at high speed, approaching the West Washington Street intersection while the auto was turning left in front of it. Ridden by someone who couldn’t have been more than 10 years old (that’s an estimate, by the way), the bike flashed into the intersection and just missed the tail end of the auto, which was all the way into its turn and legally had the right of way.

The auto’s driver laid on the horn but in a second or two, the bike and rider were down the hill and past the bike path — gone. One of the observers ruefully remarked that at least the rider had on a helmet. Another opined that the helmet would have done little good if he had face planted into the back quarter panel of the vehicle.

Shocking? Yes. Unusual? Nope. This kind of thing to one degree or another happens all the time in Marquette and any city or town these days, since e-bikes have become more and more common.

What we have here is yet another example of technology getting way ahead of society’s ability to manage and control it. The Marquette City Commission has realized this and is in the process of joining a great many other municipalities across the country and doing something about it.

The panel earlier this week voted unanimously to direct city staff to develop an ordinance or ordinances related to the use of e-bikes in the city. According to Mining Journal reporting on the matter, the proposed ordinance(s) would allow e-bike classes 1, 2 and 3 and micromobility devices with motors less than 750 watts to use the bike path and would also create a reckless riding ordinance which would allow police to stop perceived dangerous riding, including excessive speed.

Currently, the city code only allows for the operation of devices defined as class 1 e-bikes on city multi-use paths and prohibits the use of all other vehicles powered by sources other than muscular power.

No changes in policy would occur until the city came back to the city commission with proposed ordinances, which the commissioners would then vote on. Certainly, there will be ample opportunity for e-bike riders to address the commission and city staff during this process.

There is nothing wrong with e-bikes, if they are handled correctly and safely. But without doubt, additional regulation and enforcement is needed. And here’s a reasonable note to mom and dad: Don’t just give the e-bike keys, so to speak, to your 10-year-old and expect everything to turn out alright. Because there’s a good chance it won’t.

Like anything else, e-bikes need to be respected, especially by their riders. To do less is to tempt fate, which is unwise where people’s safety is concerned