Representatives at Shriners Children’s Erie have noticed a link between the popularity of e-bikes and the uptick in kids coming in with injuries.
The most common injuries seen at Shriners Orthopedic Clinic are upper body fractures and road rash, but pediatric orthopedics warn that injuries can be even worse.
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E-bikes travel up to 30 miles per hour, and when they collide with vehicles on the road, they often create a high-energy blunt force impact
Parents are being urged to make sure their kids wear properly fitted helmets, high-visibility clothing and follow traffic laws to mitigate the risk of being injured.
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“Everyone that I talk to that works in the orthopedic field has seen an increase in these injuries; it’s multiple injuries per week that we’re seeing from e-bikes and e-scooters,” said Christine Betancourt, pediatric orthopedic provider at Shriners Children’s Erie. “The older the kids are riding e-bikes, the less likely they are to wear their helmets, and I think that’s one of the injuries that is the most significant and most concerning for the e-bikes: head trauma injuries.”…