Parents whose children received an e-bike or e-scooter for Christmas are being urged to exercise extreme caution, with police warning that a single mistake could result in catastrophic, life-altering injuries comparable to a motorbike crash.
Police Crackdown Reveals Widespread Issues
The urgent safety alert follows a targeted two-day police operation in the Wollongong area this week. The crackdown resulted in six people being charged with a total of 15 infringements related to the illegal and dangerous use of e-bikes and e-scooters.
Newcastle Hunter Highway Patrol Chief Inspector Thomas Barnes said the operation aimed to disrupt the use of non-compliant e-mobility devices and associated anti-social behaviour. He expressed particular concern for the safety of both young riders and pedestrians during the busy school holiday period.
"One Mistake Away from a Brain Injury"
Chief Inspector Barnes highlighted a disturbing trend of children and teenagers riding high-powered, and often illegally modified, e-bikes without adequate safety measures. "I don't think their parents or carers would necessarily give them a motorcycle and tell them to ride on the road, but yet they're effectively allowing them to do pretty much the same using an e-bike," he stated.
He recounted a recent observation of two teenage girls sharing an e-bike, with one not wearing a helmet. "Those children are one mistake away from sustaining a serious, life-altering brain injury," Barnes warned. "Nobody wants to see their loved one lying in a brain injury unit... But this is what happens when heads that are not protected by helmets, impact hard surfaces."
Injuries Mirroring Motorbike Trauma
The severity of potential injuries is not theoretical. Medical data underscores the danger. Between Christmas and New Year's Day last year, emergency specialists at John Hunter Hospital treated multiple patients who had fallen from e-bikes and e-scooters. Their injuries were consistent with those typically seen in motorbike accidents, not simple bicycle tumbles.
Chief Inspector Barnes placed a clear onus on parents and guardians. He advised them to:
- Ensure any e-bike complies with NSW regulations.
- Verify their child is competent in using the device.
- Insist on the use of appropriate safety gear, especially a helmet.
- Provide active supervision.
He also warned about the ease of modifying legal e-bikes into unregistered, high-speed vehicles, a process readily found online. "So the obligation is on the parents to really dig into what your children are doing... just to make sure they come home safely at the end of the day," he emphasised.
Calls for Clearer Regulation and Speed Limits
The issue has also drawn attention from cycling advocacy groups. The Illawarra Bicycle Users Group (IBUG) has called for an evidence-based approach to regulating throttle-powered e-mobility devices, often called "fat bikes."
IBUG president Edward Birt acknowledged widespread concern about speeds on shared paths. "They need to be speed limited, there's absolutely no doubt about that, we can't have people zipping along at 50 km/h on shared paths," Birt said, highlighting the grey area in current regulations that these powerful devices occupy.
As e-bikes continue to surge in popularity, the message from police and safety advocates is unequivocal: these are not toys. They are powerful vehicles that demand respect, responsible use, and proper safety precautions to prevent tragedy.
