Kids keep getting hurt and killed on e-bikes. Should parents be held responsible?
- Traumatic injuries and deaths among children involved in e-bike crashes are increasing, prompting some prosecutors to consider criminal charges against parents.
- New York City has issued cease-and-desist notices to online retailers selling illegal e-bikes after a 17-year-old's death in a crash.
- New Jersey has implemented regulations requiring e-bike riders to be at least 15 years old and to obtain a license and registration.
- Cycling advocates express concern that regulations may unfairly target low-powered e-bikes instead of more dangerous vehicles.
- Experts note that injuries from e-bikes are more severe than those from traditional bicycles, particularly among children.
As traumatic injuries and deaths surge among children involved in crashes on e-bikes and other electrified vehicles, one California prosecutor is cracking down by pursuing criminal charges against some of the young riders’ parents. This is part of a broader effort by officials across the country to address the growing issue, as families navigate a patchwork of local laws regarding the safety and legality of e-bikes and scooters for children.
In New York City, the mayor has sent cease-and-desist notices to dozens of online retailers for selling products marketed as “e-bikes” that are not street legal, following the death of a 17-year-old in a crash involving an illegal vehicle. Meanwhile, new regulations in New Jersey require e-bike riders to be at least 15 years old and to obtain a license and vehicle registration.
Experts have noted that injuries from e-bikes are disproportionately affecting children, with hospital visits for injuries from e-bikes and e-scooters rising sharply as their popularity increases. Researchers emphasize that the severity of these injuries is particularly concerning, as children tend to be more severely injured than if they were riding traditional bicycles.
孩子们在电动自行车上受伤和死亡。父母应该承担责任吗？
随着涉及电动自行车和其他电动交通工具的儿童创伤性伤害和死亡人数激增，加州的一名检察官开始对一些年轻骑行者的父母提起刑事指控。这是全国各地官员为应对这一日益严重问题而采取的更广泛努力的一部分，家庭在应对关于儿童电动自行车和滑板车的安全性和合法性的地方法律时面临困境。
在纽约市，市长已向数十家在线零售商发出了停止销售通知，原因是这些商家销售的被标记为“电动自行车”的产品并不符合街道合法标准，此举是在一名17岁青少年在一起涉及非法车辆的事故中死亡后采取的。同时，新泽西州的新规要求电动自行车骑行者至少15岁，并且必须获得驾驶执照和车辆注册。
专家指出，电动自行车造成的伤害对儿童的影响尤为严重，随着电动自行车和电动滑板车的普及，因其造成的伤害而就医的人数急剧上升。研究人员强调，这些伤害的严重性尤其令人担忧，因为儿童受伤的程度往往比骑传统自行车时更为严重。