Why electric bikes and scooters put riders at risk
In recent years, electric bikes and scooters have gained popularity among children and adolescents. But they don’t come without serious risks.
In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports more than 360,000 electric scooter or bike-related emergency room visits between 2021 and 2023, with many of those injuries happening to children under the age of 15.
“Electric bikes and scooters are dangerous for many reasons,” says Dr. Rukmini Velamati, an emergency medicine physician Advocate Children’s Hospital. “They are far quicker than their non-motorized counterparts, which means falls and collisions occur at much higher speeds.”
That also means drivers have less time to spot riders as they ride on roads or cross intersections.
“In many cases, children and teens on e-bikes and scooters aren’t even wearing helmets,” she says. “This is one of the simplest ways you can protect yourself while riding bikes and scooters of any kind. When someone chooses not to wear a helmet, the consequences can be life-altering or even deadly.”
If you or your child use an electric bike or scooter, Dr. Velamati recommends the following tips to ride as safely as possible:
- Make sure to always wear a properly fitted helmet and leave it on for the entirety of the ride. Additional protective gear is always a good idea, such as elbow, knee and wrist pads.
- Keep young children off of electric scooters. Oftentimes, there are multiple riders on electric scooters, particularly older children transporting younger kids. This is extremely unsafe. Electric scooters are not appropriate for young children.
- Obey the rules of the road. Familiarize yourself with where electric vehicles can be operated in your town and state and always obey all traffic signals and signs.
- Ride carefully. Refrain from operating the electric bike or scooter at high speeds. Do not attempt tricks or stunts while riding and avoid erratic and unpredictable behavior. It can be difficult for vehicles and pedestrians to see electric bikes and scooters coming, so ride slowly and carefully. Take turns slowly and keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the bike or scooter at all times.
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About the Author
health enews contributor, is on the Advocate Health Care communications team. When she is not writing health enews articles, she is busy chasing her two kids, two cats and two dogs. She also enjoys reading, cooking, baking and drinking coffee.
As an avid “acoustic” cyclist for decades, I’ve known and ridden with both very- good/well skilled cyclists & electric bike riders and not-so-good/unskilled cyclists & electric bike riders. The challenge with electric bikes and scooters, is that it is often too easy for newer, unskilled electric bike riders to go much faster that they realize without having developed the skills to manage all within such close proximity to walkers and other riders on local trails.
The concern I have is that often, many of these e-bikes are nearly as large as a motorcycle, weighing 70-90+ pounds and they can accelerate without pedaling or any physical effort/cost, which can result in really dangerous situations in the hands of a newer rider. I’ve just seen numerous e-bike riders blasting down narrow limestone or riverside trails missing walkers, runners, pet owners and even other cyclists by inches without giving any warnings (bells or “on your left” verbal courtesies).
After suffering an ebike accident last August 2024 with multiple abrasion to my knee hand, face and a broken bone in my left arm, I can attest to the dangers of electric bikes. I was not wearing a helmet at that time. Currently I wear a helmet and hand/wrist pads. I learned the hard way. In addition, ebike can be dangerous when the throttle button malfunctions and sticks in the active position, causing the ebike to propel forward when dismounting. Finally, ebikes can be slippery on roads with sand, gravel or water. That has been my experience, and I encourage anyone considering an ebike to become very familiar with proper usage and possible dangers.
Another issue which should be emphasized is the danger of people (children, adolescents, and adults) just dumping or parking scooters in sidewalks, walkways, etc. I see this far too often in neighborhoods, at El and bus stops and more. Somehow those who should know better must think it is a cool thing to do. Sidewalks are dangerous enough with all of the cracks, raised sections, and poor lighting without adding yet another hazard.