Over the summer, I’ve noticed there’s been a spike in kids riding e-bikes throughout the suburbs. And while it’s nice to see kids outside again, I can’t help but wonder, “Are these things actually good for them?”
The socializing aspect of being outside and playing together is crucial for development, but also a core part of playing outside is to be active. But how much exercise do children really get when they don’t even have to pedal?
The top speed of an e-bike in the U.S. can get up to 28 mph. That means kids are cruising in the streets to a speed higher than the school zone limit, and most are without any protection like helmets or pads.
According to the pediatrics department of Cornell’s medical school, injuries seen in e-bike accidents are more like motorcycle crash injuries than standard bike accidents due to the speed. This can lead to broken bones, facial fractures and, in worst cases, serious brain injuries.
Right before quarantine, my family and I moved from a trailer park to a suburban neighborhood, and it was shocking to see how many kids didn’t play together outside.
We moved from a neighborhood where all the kids in the trailer park would come out in the morning and then go inside when it got to the heat of the day, to one where no one knew each other. This made the COVID era extra lonely as we didn’t know any of our neighbors.
So, over this past year or so, it’s been refreshing to see how kids are actually playing outside again. They’re in the streets from sunup to sundown where I live, but after a moment of realization, I noticed they all rode e-bikes and traveled around in little bike gangs.
My 15-year-old sister even got her own e-bike over the summer. She rode that thing all over town to see her friends, go swimming and now she rides it to school in the mornings. At first glance, it seems harmless and useful, but my fear grows each day I see her speed down the road.
In an interview with NPR, Dr. Cornelia Griggs of Mass General Brigham for Children Hospital said that parents need to understand that when riding e-bikes, a full motorcycle helmet is needed to actually protect children.
“We’ve seen really severe orthopedic fractures, and tragically, we have even seen children die,” Griggs said. “We’re also seeing injuries as a result of people being hit by these vehicles, both from children riding the vehicles and adults riding them inappropriately. I recently saw a 2-year-old who was hit by an e-bike on a playground that was being driven by a 12-year-old. So, it’s not just kids riding them and getting hurt.”
The biggest issue is that kids have little to no knowledge of road safety until they take drivers ed. And the kids riding these e-bikes seem to think they know how to ride in the streets when that’s simply not the case.
While minors under the age of 16 in New York City are not allowed to ride e-bikes and those under 18 must do so with a helmet, other states like Alaska and New Jersey have gone the extra limit and require riders to have a driver’s license.
Now, forcing people to have a driver’s license to operate an e-bike seems a bit extreme, but an age limit of at least 16 seems fair, or in the very least a mandatory course on road safety and training to operate an e-bike.
E-bikes are not to be underestimated in the damage they can cause to young people. So, while it’s nice to see kids out in the streets together once again, it would be better to see them safe.
