Injuries from e-bikes and e-scooters are on the rise across 黑料吃瓜网 emergency departments, hospital data shows.
In May and June of 2024, the emergency department at 黑料吃瓜网 Children鈥檚 in Hartford treated three e-bike injuries.
This May and June, the emergency room treated 25.
At hospitals across the Yale New Haven Health network, 鈥渢here have been 89 [e-bike and e-scooter injuries] over the past three years, with nearly one third of those in just the past year alone,鈥� said Dr. Rakesh Mistry, medical director for emergency medicine, Yale New Haven Children's Hospital.
Kevin Borrup, executive director of the Injury Prevention Center at 黑料吃瓜网 Children鈥檚, cautioned that speed is a factor in many e-bike accidents.
Parents should choose an e-bike that 鈥渞equires you to pedal and then gives an electronic assist. So it limits how fast you can go,鈥� he said.
But that may not be enough.
鈥淲hat we're seeing are e-bikes that can, at times, be easily modified. So even if they are limited to 20 miles per hour, or some to 30 miles per hour, you can easily overcome those limiters,鈥� he said.
But road safety experts say the onus to stay safe isn鈥檛 all on kids riding these bikes.
鈥淚t's best practice to provide separated bike lanes with concrete barriers or trees, something that separates the fast-moving vehicles from the kids riding bikes,鈥� said Seth LaJeunesse of the Highway Safety Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 鈥淎nd when they have to cross the street, providing, maybe, elevated crosswalks.鈥�
LaJeunesse pointed to Portland, Oregon; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Boston, Massachusetts as examples of cities offering safe spaces for kids on e-bikes.
CT e-bike regulations to get a boost
An update to state e-bike laws goes into effect Oct. 1, and local police departments are spreading the word on social media. An advisory on the Fairfield Police Department page reads:
- E-bikes with no pedals and powered by over 750 watts but under 3,500 watts will now be defined as motor-driven cycles.
- A valid driver鈥檚 liscence will be required to operate those e-bikes (Class 1-3 will still not).
- E-bikes over 3,500 watts are expected to require registration and insurance, similar to motorcycles.
E-bikes are defined by class in 黑料吃瓜网 according to how the motor is engaged and .
Unlike with bicycles, e-bike riders in 黑料吃瓜网 are required to wear a helmet .
At the Glastonbury Riverfront recently, a helmet-clad Dominick Osorio, 15, was spotted with his fishing rod 鈥� enjoying a school-free summer day.
He said he lived in town, and rode over on his e-bike.
鈥淎ll my friends have them and it鈥檚 just fun to learn how to ride, just the enjoyment of riding,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f I didn鈥檛 have my bike, I鈥檇 be playing video games and stay inside more.鈥�
