Over the past few years, we’ve seen the rise of a new personal transportation mode: electric scooters and bikes. These battery-powered rides have proven practical for personal transportation in dense cities and suburbs, as well as college campuses. However, with their increased popularity comes the risk of dangerous accidents, especially among kids and teens.

A 2024 Harvard Health report showed that e-scooter and e-bike sales have risen rapidly since 2018. The appeal is easy to see. They’re convenient, fast, relatively affordable and allow you to break less of a sweat than traditional bikes or scooters. But as numerous studies (as well as anecdotal evidence) demonstrates, these benefits are not without cost. Reports show an increase in injuries and hospital visits that align with their increase in popularity. While there is always some inherent risk in riding a regular bike or scooter, those risks are increased with the faster speeds of e-scooters and e-bikes. Other safety concerns include defects like battery and controller malfunctions.

This past summer alone, multiple incidents involving children and teens riding e-scooters occurred in the region, including the tragic death of a 12-year-old girl from Delaware County back in June. These incidents are not unique to the Philly area. Searching up the term “e-scooter” or “e-bike” will result in news articles from cities across the country popping up.

While e-bikes are legal to operate in the same areas as traditional bikes in Pennsylvania, e-scooters are much more complicated. For example, many e-scooters don’t have crucial road features, such as turn signals, which makes them illegal to drive on roads in Pennsylvania. However, enforcement of these laws varies widely and there are no laws mandating universal helmet usage, which is a cause for concern and can increase chances of injury. Local townships have started enforcing e-scooter bans and mandating helmet usage, but it remains to be seen whether they will be effective in preventing injuries and accidents, especially among children.