In the last few years, e-bikes have become a popular way for middle and high school students to get around. What started as a trend for adults has turned into a common sight at schools and around town. E-bikes are fast, efficient, and better for the environment than cars. They give teens more freedom to get to school, hang out with friends, or run errands without needing a license or a ride from their parents. As more students start using them, e-bikes are quickly changing how they get around every day.
As they have become more popular, safety concerns have started to rise among both drivers and bikers. Recently, there was a teen in Menlo who was hospitalized from an accident involving a car and an e-bike; injuries were relatively minor but it’s still a very serious and concerning manner. With such an unfortunate event happening, it makes you wonder how e-bike riders can protect themselves more to be able to prevent themselves from being hurt or in an accident. Taking extra precautions and being aware of your surroundings can be key to a rider’s safety and preventing any accidents.
Enzo De Paula (10) is a student at Mills who rides an e-bike, and when asked how he thinks riders and drivers can work together to make roads safer for everyone, he said, “I think drivers need to be more patient and bikers also have to be more aware of their surroundings.”
De Paula also mentioned how wearing the right gear and equipment is very important to riders’ safety. When asked if he knew about the accident of a teen in Menlo, he said he was not aware but was nonetheless concerned and wondered if he did take all the safety precautions to avoid it himself.
All things considered, safety is the number one priority for everyone on the road. Without a doubt, there are many risks to riding bikes, especially e-bikes. Roads are usually meant for sharing, but that means everyone has to play a part in sharing the road and being safe; for the most part, we can all agree we don’t want to see anyone hurt. The e-bike community seems to continue to grow, so being able to accept that as pedestrians and drivers is very important. As our fellow students ride to school or around everyday, we hope for the best for them and their safety.
