By admin 
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
Read our AI Policy.
- Emergency rooms report rising injuries from electric bikes and scooters among children.
- Physician says traditional helmets may not provide enough protection at higher speeds.
- Parents should check local laws as some cities impose bans or restrictions on e‑devices.
Emergency rooms across the U.S. are seeing a rise in injuries tied to electric bikes and scooters as the devices grow more popular with children, a pediatric emergency physician said.
Read more First debate scheduled between Kevin Kiley and Richard Pan. Here’s where, when
Dr. Purva Grover of Cleveland Clinic Children’s said she treats a wide range of injuries connected to the motorized devices, from fractures to traumatic brain injuries.
“Often I see patients who come in from, again, a wide variety of injuries, from something what I know is as simple as a fracture,” Grover said. “But then the other extreme which we see are patients who come in with traumatic brain injuries, head bleeds, fractures, skull breaks, and those require many more interventions and sometimes can be fatal as well.”
Grover said some patients tell her they were wearing helmets, but the protection was inadequate for the higher speeds electric bikes and scooters can reach. She said traditional bicycle helmets may not provide enough protection at those speeds and recommended helmets designed specifically for e-bikes and scooters.
Read more Gov. Gavin Newsom orders state agencies to shore up anti-trafficking protections
Beyond protective gear, Grover urged parents to talk with children about traffic safety and the rules of the road.
“The kids think sometimes that they can zoom around and switch things, you know, go from sidewalk to road, and it’s just like having a bike,” Grover said. “But because of how fast they can go, because of the enormous inertia and the trauma which can happen with it, they can be hit by other cars, which is something we see very commonly.”
Grover also advised parents to check local laws before buying an electric bike or scooter for a child, noting some cities are beginning to implement bans and other restrictions.
Read more Rumsey Fire in area north of Yolo-Colusa County line spreads, Cal Fire says