A recent study found electric bike accidents in Marin County have been prevalent among youth, prompting county officials to issue a public health advisory this week.
From Oct. 10 to Nov. 10, the Marin County Emergency Medical Services recorded e-bike-related 911 reports. Based on data gathered by the EMS, 22 percent or nine out of 41 emergency responses to bicycle accidents in the county were related to e-bikes.
“We fully support getting kids and adults on bikes. … The message is really about doing it more safely.”
Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County Public Health Officer
Among youth ages 10 to 19 years old, EMS data showed that 71 percent or five out of seven recorded bike accidents were e-bike-related. This is nine times higher than for the age 20 and above group, which logged 12 percent (4 out of 34 bike accidents), county officials noted.
“We fully support getting kids and adults on bikes, including e-bikes, as a healthy and fun way to get around independently,” Marin County Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis said in a statement. “The message is really about doing it more safely.”
County officials urged families to remind their children to wear helmets, use proper seats, follow the manufacturer’s passenger limit, obey road rules, exercise good judgment and ride in a predictable way.
Riding first class
Willis also recommended families to buy Class 1 e-bikes for their children since this type of e-bike helps “only when the rider is pedaling and are generally more appropriate for newer riders.”
“If buying a new e-bike, consider Class 1 e-bikes the best choice,” he said.
On Tuesday, Marin County Public Health officials issued an advisory on e-bike safety for local health care providers and launched the “Bicycle Safety” data dashboard that displays all 911 ambulance responses to bike accidents countywide.
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