We were on the harbor breakwater when my one-and-a-half year old son was six inches from being run over by a group of boys on e-bikes. I was standing in the right place at the right time, but it could so easily have gone another way.
Please, if you are the parent of a child who rides an e-bike — talk to them. The kids likely don’t fully grasp the potentially catastrophic impact of their actions. I have so much faith that these boys would never wish harm to anyone. But they don’t understand that small children move in quick, unpredictable ways. Going as fast as they were, they never would have been able to stop or swerve in time.
To our lawmakers, regulations regarding e-bikes need to be congruous with the severity of what can happen when something goes wrong. There seems to be a mismatch between the capabilities of e-bikes and the rules that govern their use. Sadly, riders suffer the consequences as trauma units see an alarming increase in e-bike related injuries. All of our kids deserve to be wrapped in the protection of laws that put their safety and well-being first.
E-bikes are fun, adventurous, independent — all the things preteens and teenagers crave. But they’re also very nearly a motorcycle, in the hands of a child. Please help your children understand the power they hold in their young hands and how to wield it safely. We all just want our babies to be okay.
