This week, Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Bailey O’Donnell about e-bike safety for children. Dr. O’Donnell is a pediatrician and pediatric resident at MUSC Children’s Health.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. As electric bikes or e-bikes have become more popular, more kids are riding them on streets, bike paths and sidewalks. Unfortunately, there's also a rise in e-bike related injuries among children and teens. Doctor Bailey O'Donnell is here to talk about children and e-bike safety recommendations. Doctor O'Donnell is a pediatrician and pediatric resident at MUSC Children’s Health. Doctor O'Donnell. Tell us more about safety concerns related to children and teens riding e-bikes.
Dr. O’Donnell: E-bikes are rising in popularity, and with that, we are definitely seeing a rise in the number of injuries. In our emergency department, it seems like every day we're seeing kids with e-bike injuries. But, they did a study nationwide that showed from 2017 to 2024, there were over 150 000 kids seen for e-bike injuries in emergency departments. And, since 2024, e-bikes have only continued to grow in popularity.
Conner: Why are e-bikes more concerning than traditional non-motorized bikes when it comes to kids safety?
Dr. O’Donnell: It really all comes down to the speed. A regular bike can only be pedaled, but an e-bike can easily reach 20 miles an hour with or without pedaling. And when you're going that fast, you're much more likely to sustain serious injuries.
Conner: What sorts of injuries are increasing in kids who do ride e-bikes?
Dr. O’Donnell: There are a wide range of injuries that we see, simple things, just like lacerations. But we're seeing a lot of broken bones. We even see head trauma, head bleeds, chest injuries and internal organ damage from kids that are going really high speeds. Some of these injuries can be similar to a motorcycle crash.
Conner: What safety recommendations can you provide regarding children and e-bikes?
Dr. O’Donnell: The most important thing to remember when children and teens are riding e-bikes is that they need to wear a helmet. Bike helmets are not good enough. They need a specific e-bike helmet. There's also several other things. Children under 12 should not be writing e-bikes at all. Kids that are between 12 and 15 should really stick to a class one e-bike, which is an e-bike that you have to pedal for it to get power, and not one that can just have the motor, regardless if your pedaling or not. There's a couple other things that you really have to consider. Your kid needs to know road safety before they can safely ride an e-bike. They need to understand how to avoid pedestrians, when to stop at stop signs, when to make turns, not to dart across the highway. And they need to have good impulse control and know not to text and drive or be distracted while they're riding their e-bike.
Conner: And you mentioned that the helmets that kids need to ride e-bikes are different than just a typical bike helmet. How are they different?
Dr. O’Donnell: So, a typical bike helmet is pretty lightweight and is rated for up to about 14mph. An e-bike helmet can go up to about 28mph. It also provides some extra protection. It goes down over the temples and over farther on the back of the head to kind of protect those critical areas. It's also made of a denser, more protective material.
Conner: And for the kids who are at an appropriate age to ride an e-bike, what can help them get prepared?
Dr. O’Donnell: There's several online training courses that parents can enroll their children in to help train them on e-bikes and pedestrian and road safety. Different areas have different laws and regulations regarding e-bikes, so definitely knowing your local laws and making sure your child is old enough and legally able to ride an e-bike. And then just taking into consideration the maturity of your child. An e-bike has much higher risk and different handling, so making sure that your child is mature, has good impulse control, and that you feel is trained and ready to ride their e-bike.
Conner: Doctor O'Donnell, thanks for talking with us about children and e-bike safety.
Dr. O’Donnell: You're welcome.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
