SOUTHEAST SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — As e-bikes become more popular, doctors and local bike experts are reminding families that safety should start before a child ever gets on the seat.
New data from Children's Hospital Colorado in Colorado Springs shows e-bike injuries among children and teens tripled from 2024 to 2025. E-scooter injuries more than doubled during that same time, and nearly four out of every 10 e-bike crashes involved a vehicle.
"I think the number one rule is helmets, helmets, helmets. No helmet, no ride," said Alicia Melvin, an Injury Prevention and Outreach Specialist for Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Melvin said e-bikes and e-scooters are not necessarily more dangerous than traditional bicycles, but their higher speeds can lead to more severe injuries. Doctors frequently see head injuries, broken bones, and injuries to the abdomen.
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Hospital officials also point to risky behaviors that can increase the chances of a crash, including overriding speed limiters, carrying extra passengers, riding outside designated bike lanes and performing tricks.
Experts say parents should treat learning to ride an e-bike much like learning to drive.
"We don't expect a child without a driver's license to just know how to drive. We teach them, they practice. The same should apply to e-bikes and scooters," Melvin said.
At Incline Bikes, owner Kenneth Vasseur says many families are buying e-bikes without fully understanding what they are purchasing.
"Parents need to be well aware of what they're purchasing, what the laws are around the style of bike that they're purchasing, what class that bike is, if their child is even legal to ride that bike in certain areas," Vasseur said.
E‑bikes come in three classes: class 1 and 2 top out at 20 miles an hour class 1 is pedal‑assist only, class 2 adds a throttle. class 3 is the fastest, up to 28mph, pedal‑assist only, and under Colorado law riders under 16 can only be passengers, and anyone under 18 has to wear a helmet.
Vasseur says parents should also think about whether their child is ready for the responsibility that comes with riding an electric bike.
"I wouldn't have my first bicycle for my child be an e-bike," Vasseur said.
Vasseur encourages parents to stay involved after the purchase by making sure helmets are actually being worn, checking in on where their children are riding and even considering using location tracking features to monitor riding habits and speeds.
"Maybe having some kind of tracker to kind of see where they're going and the speeds they're traveling at," he said.
He also warns that some electric bikes sold online may not meet the legal definition of an e-bike.
"If you're on a bike that exceeds 28 miles an hour, then it's not an e-bicycle," Vasseur explained.
Both Children's Hospital Colorado and local bike experts say the goal is not to discourage families from using e-bikes. Instead, they hope parents will take time to learn the rules, buy the right bike for their child and stay involved every time their kids head out for a ride.
