Brain Injuries from E-Bike Incidents on the Rise, Santa Maria Trauma Surgeon Cautions
Jarrod Zinn
SANTA MARIA / ORCUTT, Calif. (KEYT) – A trauma surgeon in Santa Maria says brain injuries resulting from incidents with electric bikes are on the rise.
Wearing a helmet is the primary safety recommendation, but experts say there’s more to it.
Several new laws went into effect this year, but the rise in e-bike popularity is outpacing the adaptation of legislation.
At Marian Regional Medical Center’s Level II Trauma Center, Dr. Claire Collison says the increase of these injuries is tangible here on the central coast.
“Nationally, it’s almost 50 fold increase in the last like five years,” says Dr. Collison.
There was a surge in holiday purchases of e-bikes and electric motorcycles (e-motos) last year, right before the new laws went into effect.
“What started as a small percentage of our business is now a pretty, commanding portion of our business,” says Scott Clark, owner of Main Street Cycles in Santa Maria.
Some are concerned parents may have purchased what they thought were e-bikes when they were in fact e-motos.
“You can get on the CHP website and look at the e-bike sites,” says Joshua Thomas, a motorcycle officer for Santa Maria CHP. “We have tons of information for riders safety wise, as well as the requirements for an electric bike and what’s not an electric bike, and is considered an electric motorcycle or motor vehicle.”
To determine an e-bike’s legal classification, the key differences to be aware of are the presence of pedals, as well as the bike’s speed capabilities and power capacity.
“They aren’t just bikes,” says Dr. Collison. “They are almost like motorcycles. And when I see kids out there, as a trauma surgeon, I just worry for them and I, I don’t want to see them at my hospital.”
E-bikes have pedals and they max out between 25-30 miles per hour, while e-motos have no pedals and can reach highway speeds.
E-motos are strictly banned from sidewalks.
“Anything without operable pedals and a motor more than 750 is an electric motorcycle and requires that the rider be licensed, the vehicle be registered, insured, and all the proper lighting,” says officer Thomas.
Wearing helmets is required by law for kids under 18, but experts recommend wearing them for all ages when operating an e-bike or e-moto.
According to the new California laws, parents can be held liable and fined for their children’s infractions, such as using unlawful models or riding without a helmet.
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