Police, doctors warn of e-bike dangers as use skyrockets in Massachusetts
On a hot day like Wednesday, Druv Manik told WBZ, in comparison to a traditional bike, "I like these a lot better because they're much faster and I don't have to use much energy."
Chris Child, another cyclist agreed saying, "It's a nice way to get around."
Over the past few years, e-bikes and scooters have grown in popularity for being fast, fun, and convenient. But when deciding between using it and a traditional bike, medical professionals say you should know the risks.
"We have seen a few injuries this year alone in our pediatric intensive care unit," said Dr. Michael Flaherty, a pediatric intensivist at Mass General Brigham.
Since e-bikes became more accessible, he claims more kids have been coming in with injuries.
"Above all it's head injuries, which are the most dangerous and that's usually due to not wearing a helmet," Flaherty explained. "And then it's a lot of extremity injuries broken limbs, road rash injuries just from the impact of falling and going that fast."
According to the doctor, it's an issue that goes far beyond Massachusetts.
"In the emergency department, the number is quoted over the past four or five years have been close to 50,000 emergency department visits for e-bike related injuries across the United States," he said.
In the town of Hanover, Police Chief Timothy Kane tells WBZ, the amount of youth using e-bikes has skyrocketed.
"A lot of times, we're observing these youngsters traveling in the wrong direction, cutting off traffic, not yielding," Kane said.
In an effort to keep kids safe, the chief sent out a notice earlier this month saying, "All riders who operate a bicycle on a public way in a manner that jeopardizes the lives and safety of the public will be cited for Operating to Endanger (OTE)." For those under the age of 18, we're told their bikes will be impounded.
"We want to make sure that we do everything that we can so that this community can avoid a tragedy," Kane said.
The state of Massachusetts doesn't have a clear set of concrete rules and regulations for e-bikes and e-scooters.
To prevent more injuries, Flaherty says parents should be educating their children on the rules of the road. "If you're under the age of 16 and you don't have a driver's license you probably shouldn't be riding a motorized bike that can go 20 to 35 mph," he said.
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