E-bike & E-scooter Safety Crisis

When a child falls off a bicycle, they typically sustain nothing more serious than a scraped knee or elbow, especially if a helmet was worn for protection.

But when a child falls off an e-bike or e-scooter, their injuries are statistically catastrophic in comparison.

“One of the biggest emerging safety issues among pre-teens is e-bike and e-scooter riding,” said Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric emergency medicine doctor at Golisano Children’s Hospital. Working at a level 1 trauma center, Dr. Murray administers critical care to children entering the ER impacted by serious, sometimes life-threatening, injuries.

“The severity of injuries from e-bike and e-scooter accidents is disproportionate to traditional bicycle accidents,” said Murray. “I see broken bones and catastrophic head injuries every month—and all in patients under 16 years of age.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) now categorize youth e-bike injuries as a surging public health and safety concern. From 2017 through 2024, the CPSC tracked more than 155,000 emergency room visits and over 300 deaths linked to e-bikes.

What’s Going On?

On the surface, electric bikes and scooters are an attractive option for urban travel. They’re fast, cost-effective (as compared to the cost of owning a car) and convenient to use. For kids, they are an easily accessible means of transportation that gives them independence.

But not every e-bike is the same.* And not every child has the developmental maturity, judgment, and physical control necessary to safely navigate an e-bike or e-scooter.

“E-bikes typically go 30 miles an hour. They are incredibly fast,” said Dr. Murray. “They have powerful motors, making them more like motorcycles. And some kids are modifying the regulators to make them go even faster.”

Speed is singled out as a major concern because the e-bike injuries Dr. Murray sees in the trauma unit are more akin to injuries sustained from high-speed motorcycle crashes.

“It’s easy to lose control,” said Dr. Murray. “Our pediatric trauma team saw 11 kids just over the past four months—10 of those went to the ICU with injuries. All of them were under 16 and only a few of them were wearing a helmet.”

* There are three classes of e-bikes:  

Class 1 gives pedal assist up to 20 mph. 

Class 2 adds a throttle and also tops out at 20 mph. 

Class 3 gives pedal assist up to 28 mph

What’s the Law?

The CPSC states that minors should not be operating motorized equipment over 10 miles per hour, per a safety review.

But what is the law surrounding e-bike and e-scooter use? It turns out it’s somewhat of a gray area, as laws slowly catch up to the current trend. There is currently no national standard requiring training or licensing to operate electric bikes or scooters. And the regulations vary from state to state, and town to town.

“The only NYS regulation around e-bike and e-scooter use is age,” Dr. Murray said. “It’s not legal for kids under 16 to be operating them.”

In the City of Rochester, e-bikes are permitted on city streets with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less, using bike lanes where available or riding close to the right-hand curb. Riding on sidewalks is prohibited. Outside of downtown, legal riders (16 and older) may use sidewalks, but must yield to pedestrians. In all cases, motor-assisted speed is capped at 20 mph.

In September, Pittsford proposed stricter regulations around e-bike and e-scooter use and is considering imposing fines for underage riders and those caught speeding.

Helmets are required for Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes and for e-scooter riders age 16-17. Riders 18 and older are not legally required to wear a helmet, although safety groups recommend it. For Class 3 e-bikes, helmets are legally required for all ages.

Clinical data from major pediatric trauma centers show that only 45% of children admitted for e-bike trauma were wearing any helmet at all.

“Children not wearing a helmet is like a child not in a car seat,” explained Dr. Murray. “A well-fitting helmet would go a long way in preventing the kind of catastrophic head injuries we are seeing in the ER. The combination of speed and impact makes the extent of injuries so much more severe.”

According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, traditional bicycle helmets are structurally tested and rated only for standard pedal speeds up to 12–15 mph. They do not offer adequate protection for Class 2 or Class 3 e-bikes that weigh anywhere from 30 to 60+ pounds going at speeds of 20 mph or more.

Experts recommend specialized helmets meeting NTA 8776 e-bike standards or built with multi-directional impact protection systems (MIPS).

What Can Be Done?

“There is a lack of parental awareness,” said Dr. Murray. “So many parents are unaware of the laws surrounding e-bikes and e-scooters.”

The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health found that 67% of parents admit they are completely uninformed about different e-bike classifications (Class 1, 2, or 3), and 45% are unsure where e-bikes are legally permitted to be ridden in their communities.

“Understand the law,” said Dr. Murray. “If you allow your teenager (over 16) to ride an e-bike or e-scooter, make sure they know where they are legally allowed to ride and are wearing a helmet.”

She said that news segments and community events are starting to address the safety issues related to e-bikes and e-scooters. Pediatricians have started talking about the risks of electric bikes to families at well-child checks, but she would like to see more education in area schools to prevent the injuries she sees every week in the ER.

“We need to have more regulations surrounding their use,” she said. “Drivers should be licensed, just like with motorcycles. At the very least, parents and guardians should supervise minors until they are used to handling an e-bike.”

RESOURCES:

 

Injury Free Coalition for Kids

https://www.injuryfree.org/

The Injury Free Coalition for Kids works to protect children and their families from preventable injuries through evidence-based research and proven intervention models.

Dr. Murray

https://13wham.com/news/good-day-arc-rochester/the-safety-risks-of-e-bikes

https://www.instagram.com/docemurray/

American Academy of Pediatrics

 https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/34099/Pediatricians-warn-of-dangers-youth-face-when