Technology has changed many parts of our lives, and because of that, safety measures should always be in play.
When it comes to electronic bikes and scooters, it seems those measures are not always being taken.
According to Sanford Tracy, there have been increasing number of injuries related to e-bikes and e-scooters because few, if anyone, are wearing helmets. That, combined with reckless operation by youth, is causing major concerns among the public.
“I was looking it up — I did not know this, but it is illegal for anyone under the age of 15 to operate an e-bike in Minnesota,” said Elishia Christians, a nurse practitioner at Sanford Tracy. “We are seeing an increase of children coming in with injuries. That’s very scary because those bikes go faster, and if they go faster, they’re going to stop harder.”
E-scooters might be a fun way for kids to get from point A to point B, but there are risks that come with them, especially when operators are not respecting rules of the road, instead choosing to zip through intersections without slowing down.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were more than 10,000 e-scooter injuries in 2017. By 2024, that number grew to nearly 80,000.
“Cases in the ER have gone up nationwide tremendously,” said Christians.
E-bikes are popular because they do serve a purpose. When used properly, they are viewed as a benefit to society, a way for people to enjoy the outdoors, Christians said.
“They are great because they get people outdoors, so many retired people enjoy them,” Christians said. “They’re such a cool tool, but it really does scare me with the children.”
There are a number of different classes of e-bikes, including ones that need to be pedaled to charge its battery; those can reach a top speed of 28 mph.
“It’s very scary, because you’re going faster … it’s leading to head injuries,” Christians said. “That could lead to death, or paralysis. People who are riding should be wearing a helmet.”
Unlike e-bike users, who remain seated, e-scooter riders stand while driving or riding. That makes e-scooters more dangerous when you hit something, especially at a higher speed, because the operator has a higher center of mass and may be more likely to fall headfirst.
“We talk in the ER after seeing more of those e-scooters — that Christmas morning, we’re going to see a ton of kids because they’re all getting e-scooters,” said Christians.
