AP: As e-bike injuries rise, some officials and advocates debate whether parents should face responsibility
- California prosecutors have begun pursuing criminal charges against some parents of young e-bike riders after a surge in serious injuries and deaths involving children.
- New York City has sent cease-and-desist notices to more than 40 online retailers over products marketed as e-bikes that city officials say are not street legal.
- New Jersey has adopted new rules requiring e-bike riders to be at least 15 and to have a license and vehicle registration.
- Cycling advocates say some new rules may be too broad and could blur the difference between low-powered e-bikes and faster motorized vehicles.
- Medical experts cited in the report say children on e-bikes are often younger, unhelmeted and more severely injured than riders on traditional bicycles.
The Associated Press reports that officials in parts of the United States are responding to a rise in serious injuries and deaths involving children on e-bikes and other electrified vehicles. In California, one prosecutor has moved to hold some parents criminally responsible for how their children used the machines.
The issue has also prompted local action elsewhere. New York City recently warned dozens of online retailers that they could face fines for selling products marketed as e-bikes that are not legal on city streets. In New Jersey, new rules now set a minimum riding age of 15 and require licensing and registration.
The article notes that families are facing a patchwork of local laws and guidance, and some parents say a national set of rules would be clearer. A California mother whose daughter was injured in an e-bike fall said officials are missing the point if they focus only on parents.
Doctors and researchers cited in the report say injuries from e-bikes and similar devices are becoming more severe, especially among children. They say many of the injured riders are younger, unhelmeted and more seriously hurt than traditional bicycle riders.
AP：儿童骑电动自行车受伤和死亡增加，一些地区开始讨论家长是否应承担责任
美联社报道，随着儿童在电动自行车和其他电驱车辆事故中严重受伤、死亡的情况增加，美国部分地区的官员正在采取应对措施。在加州，一名检察官已开始追究部分家长对孩子使用这类车辆的刑事责任。
其他地方也在采取本地化措施。纽约市最近警告数十家线上零售商，称其销售的部分被宣传为电动自行车的产品并不符合城市道路行驶规定。新泽西州则出台新规，规定骑行年龄至少15岁，并要求持证和车辆注册。
报道指出，家庭目前面对的是零散且不统一的地方规则与指引，一些家长认为需要全国统一标准。一位加州母亲在女儿因骑电动自行车摔伤后表示，如果只把责任归到家长身上，官员就抓错了重点。
报道援引的医生和研究人员表示，电动自行车及类似设备造成的伤害正在加重，尤其集中在儿童身上。他们说，受伤者往往更年轻、没有戴头盔，而且伤势比传统自行车骑行者更严重。