Logan Township Police

by Paige Gross | for NJ.com

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Originally published on Sept. 12

You're headed down the road in your car and a kid, on a bike, heads straight for you and pops a wheelie right next to your car, or near a parked car.

It's dangerous and it's a fad that just won't die in New Jersey, police say.

The stunts are called "swerving" -- or intentionally biking in the path of vehicles while performing tricks. Sometimes, large groups of teens will do this together, just to confound traffic.

In response, N.J. towns have taken to local Facebook groups and public forums to air concerns about this dangerous practice, and local police departments are issuing notices that they could issue arrests for kids they find doing this.

“Not to belittle any fun, but it is a community safety issue,” Logan Township Lt. Joseph Flatley told NJ Advance Media.

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It's an international fad

While the topic has spurred hundreds of comments in local community groups, teens aren't just practicing these stunts in the tri-state area.

Police in Hertfordshire, England warned parents of the dangers of biking into traffic earlier this year after a teenage boy was struck by a car that he couldn't get out of the way of.

"The entire incident was caught on camera, which Lesley has now shared in a bid to highlight the dangers that teenagers are blatantly ignoring," The Sun reported.

And Worchester police just outside of Boston arrested four teenagers and confiscated their bikes in March for making traffic come to a stand-still.

Police said there were 25-30 teenagers riding in the middle of the road at an intersection, WBZ 4 reported. Officers said they expect to see more "swerving" in warmer weather.

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Warnings in a South Jersey town

Logan Township Police Department posted a warning about the phenomenon to residents on its Facebook page Monday after seeing a lot of discussions about "swerving" on community pages.

Lt. Flatley said several residents in the Gloucester County community reached out to the department about the packs of young bikers potentially getting in the way of drivers or hurting themselves.

The department created the Facebook post to clarify what citizens can do if they see a dangerous stunt.

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Due to recent complaints about the phenomena known as “swerving”, (bicyclists intentionally riding into the paths of... Posted by Logan Township - NJ Police Department on Monday, September 10, 2018

Here's what's illegal about the fad

The department’s post included three statues from the state’s motor vehicle code these bikers are usually breaking:

-- Riding a bike without wearing a helmet under the age of 17

-- Riding in street while "practicing tricks or fancy riding"

-- Failure to ride to the right side of the road.

“If you witness your child, or a neighbor or friends child riding in such a manner, we implore you to address the potential consequences of their actions,” the post said. “It is our sincere hope that we can eliminate this problem through education as opposed to enforcement.”

Flatley said if officers get involved or see a group of kids breaking any of these statues they’ll first try to talk to them, but involve parents if necessary.

“Fortunately, we haven’t had anyone hurt as a result, but we wanted to get out in front of it,” Flatley added.

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Kids swerving along a roadway in National Park.

Joe Brandt

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Swerving issues in another N.J. town

Last year, Delran Township Police warned Burlington County residents about the same dangerous fad.

Delran police implored parents to step in if their child has been "swerving" in traffic.

Detective Fred Irons told NJ Advance Media that the department started getting reports of kids biking close to cars in late June, after schools let out. Reports continued through the rest of the 2017 summer, he said.

The police department attacked the issue by staying positive: It issued coupons for treats at neighborhood stores for those seen riding a bicycle in a safe manner and wearing a helmet.

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Swerving has stirred up a conversation on Facebook

The Logan police Facebook post created quite a bit of banter, Flatley said. Many residents who posted were frustrated drivers who scared of hurting the kids.

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“It definitely touched a nerve,” Flately said about the "swerving" issue. “But now everyone is on notice.”

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Other dangerous fads

-- 13 dangerous internet trends that could harm your kid

-- Where there's smoke, there's 'Dragon's Breath.' Why this popular cereal can be dangerous.

-- The 'Tide Pod Challenge': What to know about the potentially deadly online craze

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Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross