Kids keep getting hurt and killed on e-bikes. Should parents be held responsible?
Prosecutors have opened more than two dozen investigations into parents as officials say children face rising e-bike injury and death risks.
- Following a 17-year-old's death in a crash involving an illicit vehicle, Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned more than 40 online retailers, including Amazon, Walmart and Target, that they face fines of up to $2,000 for each sale of illegal e-bikes.
- Hospital visits for injuries from e-bikes and e-scooters have soared as the machines become ubiquitous, with researchers emphasizing that injury severity is disproportionately pronounced among children.
- Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer launched a dedicated unit focusing on e-bike cases with more than two dozen open investigations into parents, though San Francisco-area mother Monica Stafford argues officials are "missing the mark" in a "total Wild West of laws."
- State regulations remain inconsistent; New Jersey requires riders to be at least 15, California mandates at least 16 for faster bikes, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed speed limits in June, citing "enhanced surveillance" concerns.
- San Francisco-area high school senior Anya Dalal advocates for age limits and education, while Chlo Lauer of the San Diego County Bike Coalition argues for enforcing existing laws rather than adding restrictions that limit mobility for kids riding responsibly.
61 Articles
61 Articles
E-bike injuries in kids are surging in the U.S. These jurisdictions want parents to be held liable
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.It is just one way officials across the country are trying to tackle the growing issue, while families navigate a patchwork of local laws and guidance on what kind of souped-up cycles and scooters are safe or even lega…
Associated Press News
Kids keep getting hurt and killed on e-bikes. Should parents be held responsible?
As traumatic injuries and deaths continue to surge among the youngest e-bike riders, officials across the country are taking different paths to tackle a growing epidemic.
An E-bike death in Key Biscayne and a national debate: Should parents be held responsible for E-bike accidents?
A recent settlement of an e-bike lawsuit in Key Biscayne is underscoring growing national concern and the question of parental responsibility. After 10 months of litigation, the family of a 12-year-old boy reached a settlement in June with the family of Megan Andrews, court records show. Andrews, a beloved local educator, died on Valentine’s Day 2024 while riding her regular bike in a collision with an e-bike. The Andrews family claimed that al…
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