Electric bikes are everywhere: on the roads, on the sidewalks, and in the parks.
Lindsay McGuire is visiting Scottsdale from Minnesota with her daughters. They’ve seen numerous e-bike and e-scooter rental shops. “They asked to ride them and I said no, that’s not something we’re going to do,” she said.
In Scottsdale, no children under 16 are allowed to ride a class 3 electronic bike, or similar machines, on city property, including electric motorcycles that can reach speeds of at least 21 miles per hour. Also, e-motorcycles must be titled and registered.
“If they’re under 16, they don’t need to be on it,” said Scottsdale mom Fortune Worrell. “I have a 13-year-old. There’s no one way I would trust you on that.”
Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s Dr. Anthony Pickett said the volume of kids injured on these bikes is up significantly at their trauma centers, and the injuries run the gamut from broken bones to head trauma.
“Pretty much everything. The lion’s share unfortunately are pretty severe head injuries,” Dr Pickett said.
He also sees kids with chest and organ injuries. And it’s not always because they’re riding in traffic.
“People think its inherently traffic accidents. It’s unseen potholes, it’s driving on the sidewalk where there might be construction not marked well and a child hits that, it can be a dog running out. It’s not always traffic accidents, for sure,” he said.
Dr. Pickett urges parents to think through before buying their child an e-bike.
“Just really give it some good thought,” he said. “Most importantly protective gear. It’s one thing to say wear your helmet, it’s another thing to make sure they’re wearing their helmet. And just obeying traffic laws as well,” he said.
Scottsdale police are planning educational outreach for the schools, parents, and shops that sell the machines. Those caught breaking the new ordinance in Scottsdale could face a traffic ticket. Fines start at $100.
Scottsdale Police Officer Aaron Bolin said in a statement: “This ordinance is meant to keep E-Bike & E-Motorcycle riders safe and legal. It should also help parents and legal guardians know which devices are appropriate for their kids based on their age and other traffic law requirements.”
