E-bike safety concerns grow as teen injuries rise

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - E-bikes offer teens freedom and a new way to get around, but pediatric trauma experts say the battery-powered bikes’ speed creates major safety concerns.

When young riders are seriously hurt, the consequences can be life-changing, according to Corri Miller-Hobbs, injury prevention outreach and education coordinator at VCU’s Children’s Hospital.

“It could be a missing tooth. It could be a cut on the face. It could be a broken bone somewhere. Unfortunately, at times it is that there is a head injury which can be very significant and lifelong lasting, unfortunately,” said Miller-Hobbs, who is also the state coordinator Safe Kids Virginia.

E-bike injuries send kids to VCU’s Children’s Hospital regularly, Miller-Hobbs said.

“Our emergency medicine physicians in the pediatric emergency room are definitely seeing these patients come in,” she said. “It is something that they’re very concerned about.”

As e-bike sales continue to climb, doctors say many parents may not fully understand what an e-bike is and the risks that come with riding one.

“Bicycles are completely powered by the person riding them with their feet. Pedaling that bike or along, as we’ve done for decades. E-bikes have a motor attached to them, and so it’s a combination of using the person pedaling, but also a motor that can engage,” Miller-Hobbs said.

The added speed and power can create new dangers for younger riders who don’t know the rules of the road.

“They also are developing in their brains and understanding depth perception and speed assessment of speeds. So they need whether they’re on a regular conventional bike or whether they’re on an e-bike. They need to have these tools in their back pocket that they are understanding what’s going on and how to navigate traffic, other pedestrians, but also other vehicles,” Miller-Hobbs said.

According to a study by the University of California, San Francisco, rider injuries from e-bikes nearly doubled each year from 2017 to 2022.

“It’s unfortunate that right now, the e-bikes are so new that we’re still learning a lot,” Miller-Hobbs said. “So it’s even more important when you get an e-bike that is faster and bigger and heavier. It looks like a lot of fun, but kids aren’t necessarily developed well enough to manage all that comes along with those e-bikes and the skills that they have to have.”

Miller-Hobbs said helmets are one of the most important safety tools, but only if they’re worn correctly.

“Having a helmet that sits too far on the back of the head is not really protecting all of your brain, and so making sure that when your child is going out and riding a bike or an e-bike, that they’re wearing a properly fitted helmet,” she said.

In Virginia, safety rules can vary by locality.

“Because Virginia does not have a statewide bicycle helmet law, it is based on each individual city or county and the ordinances that they bring forward,” Miller-Hobbs said.

Parents may need to take extra steps to research what’s safe before their child hops on the bike.

“To be aware that this is a new product and they’re figuring things out. So you need to do your research before you even buy,” Miller-Hobbs said.

As e-bikes become more common in neighborhoods across the country, trauma experts say supervision, education and proper safety precautions may be the best defense against preventable injuries.