Should parents be held responsible as children keep getting hurt and killed on e-bikes?
- A California prosecutor is pursuing criminal charges against some parents of young riders after a surge in serious e-bike and other electrified-vehicle crashes involving children.
- Local and state officials around the U.S. are taking different approaches, including New York City cease-and-desist notices to retailers and new New Jersey rules setting age, license and registration requirements for some e-bike riders.
- Cycling advocates say some of the new restrictions may be too broad and could target low-powered e-bikes instead of faster motorized vehicles.
- Parents interviewed for the story said a patchwork of local rules is not enough and that the country needs clearer national standards.
- Medical experts said e-bike injuries are often more severe than traditional bicycle injuries and are especially common among younger riders who are not wearing helmets.
Authorities in the United States are grappling with a rise in serious injuries and deaths involving children riding e-bikes and other electrified vehicles. One California prosecutor is moving to hold some parents criminally responsible, saying the issue goes beyond the riders themselves.
At the same time, local governments are trying different fixes. New York City recently sent cease-and-desist notices to dozens of online sellers over products marketed as e-bikes that are not street legal, and New Jersey has adopted new rules requiring some riders to be at least 15 and to have a license and vehicle registration.
The debate has drawn criticism from some cycling advocates, who say the rules may be sweeping too broadly and punishing low-powered e-bikes instead of more dangerous, faster machines. Some parents also argue that a patchwork of local laws leaves families without clear guidance.
Doctors and researchers say the injury pattern is part of the concern. They report that e-bike crashes tend to produce more severe injuries than traditional bicycle crashes, and that the children involved are often younger and not wearing helmets.
孩子骑电动自行车受伤和死亡不断增加，父母是否应承担责任？
美国各地官员正在应对儿童骑电动自行车及其他电动交通工具时出现的严重伤亡上升问题。加利福尼亚州一名检察官正推动对部分家长提起刑事指控，认为责任不应只落在骑行的孩子身上。
与此同时，地方政府在尝试不同的应对方式。纽约市最近向数十家在线卖家发出停止销售通知，针对的是那些被宣传为电动自行车、但实际上不符合上路规定的产品；新泽西州则出台新规，要求部分骑手至少15岁，并持有执照和车辆登记。
这些做法也引发争议。一些自行车倡议人士认为，相关规定可能过于宽泛，把低功率电动自行车和更危险、速度更快的车型混为一谈。也有家长表示，零散的地方规则让家庭缺乏清晰指引。
医生和研究人员指出，伤情严重程度是问题的一部分。研究显示，电动自行车事故造成的伤害通常比传统自行车事故更重，而涉事儿童往往更年轻，也更可能没有佩戴头盔。