AAA has introduced the E-Ride Ready campaign in response to the increasing number of injuries associated with e-bikes and e-scooters. This initiative comes as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports a significant rise in emergency room visits related to these devices, jumping from approximately 37,000 in 2017 to 149,000 in 2024. Alarmingly, 27% of these incidents involve children aged 5 to 14.

Addressing Safety Concerns

Mark Jenkins, AAA’s public relations manager, highlighted the risks young riders face when using faster and heavier machines without adequate knowledge of road rules or proper safety gear. ‘That combination of faster speeds and slower reaction time with no helmets makes the injuries they sustain even more severe when they’re involved in a crash,’ Jenkins explained.

The E-Ride Ready campaign offers a free digital safety guide for parents. This guide helps distinguish between regular e-bikes and more powerful motorcycles or mopeds, emphasizing the necessity of choosing the appropriate helmet for different speeds. Jenkins advises, ‘A bicycle helmet may not be enough at higher speeds, so remember the faster the ride, the stronger the helmet should be.’

Parental Guidance and Legal Requirements

AAA encourages parents to review helmet standards before making a purchase and reminds them of Florida’s legal requirement for children under 16 to wear a helmet. Additionally, parents are advised to regularly check the settings on these devices, as some children are modifying speeds to make their e-bikes and e-scooters faster.

For more information, parents and guardians can access the safety guide provided by AAA, which aims to equip them with the knowledge needed to ensure their children’s safety while using these popular modes of transportation.

Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.