I recently had to honk at a kid on an e-bike while I was making a left turn. He rode right out in front of me without seeming to notice that I was turning. Thankfully, I had enough time to react, but it got me thinking about how many kids are riding e-bikes around traffic without really understanding how to ride safely around vehicles.
E-bikes can be a lot of fun, and they can give kids more freedom to get around their neighborhoods and visit friends. But they’re also capable of traveling much faster than a traditional bicycle. Once a child is riding alongside vehicles, crossing intersections, and sharing the road with traffic, knowing how to balance and pedal isn’t enough.
Before buying your child an e-bike, it’s worth thinking about whether they’re actually ready to ride one around traffic.
An e-bike isn’t just a faster bicycle.
One of the biggest things parents need to consider is speed. An e-bike can make it easy for a young rider to travel much faster than they would on a regular bicycle. That extra speed changes how quickly a rider approaches an intersection, how much time they have to react to a vehicle, and how much time a driver has to see and respond to them.
A child who is comfortable riding a bicycle around the neighborhood might not yet have the judgment or experience needed to handle an e-bike around moving vehicles.
Your child needs to know the rules of the road.
If your child is going to ride an e-bike on streets where they’re interacting with traffic, they need to understand that traffic laws apply to them, too.
That means knowing what traffic signs and signals mean, riding in the appropriate direction, yielding when required, and understanding how to safely cross intersections. They also need to understand that having the right-of-way doesn’t mean they should stop paying attention to what drivers around them are doing.
This is especially important at intersections. A driver may be preparing to make a turn while an e-bike rider is approaching from the other direction. If the rider isn’t paying close enough attention, they may suddenly end up directly in the vehicle’s path. If the driver isn’t ready to stop on a dime, the rider is in big trouble.
Riding in the middle of the street creates a problem.
I’ve seen kids riding e-bikes in the middle of the street, sometimes without seeming to pay much attention to the vehicles around them. A rider who is occupying the travel lane needs to understand how their position affects traffic. They also need to be aware of what’s happening behind them and know how to respond when vehicles approach.
For a young rider, that can be a lot to manage at once. They’re supposed to be watching for cars, looking for signs and signals, deciding where to ride, and trying to control a bike that may be traveling at a fairly high speed. Parents should think about whether their child can handle all of that before allowing them to ride independently in traffic.
Paying attention matters just as much as wearing a helmet.
Helmets are important, but putting one on doesn’t make an otherwise unsafe ride safe. A child can be wearing a helmet and still ride through a stop sign, look down at their phone, cross in front of a turning vehicle, or fail to notice a car approaching.
Kids riding e-bikes need to keep their attention on what’s happening around them. That means no phone use while riding and no headphones or other distractions that make it harder to hear or notice traffic. They also need to understand that drivers may not see them right away, particularly when they’re coming from behind a parked vehicle, entering from a driveway, or approaching an intersection from an unexpected direction. They can’t assume a car will stop for them.
Don’t assume your child will make the same decisions you would.
You may know that your child is a good bike rider. They may follow directions at home and know what a stop sign means. But riding independently around traffic requires a different kind of judgment.
Before giving your child permission to ride an e-bike on their own, pay attention to how they handle situations that require them to make decisions. Do they look for traffic before entering an intersection? Do they stop when they’re supposed to? Do they notice what’s happening around them, or do they get distracted easily?
If your child tends to act first and think later, an e-bike may give them more speed and independence than they’re ready to handle.
Practice with them before sending them out alone.
If you decide your child is ready for an e-bike, don’t make the first ride an independent one. Ride with them and practice the situations they’re likely to encounter. Go over stop signs, traffic signals, turns, parked cars, driveways, and intersections. Practice having them look for approaching vehicles and make sure they understand when they need to stop and yield.
Watch how your child actually rides when you’re not constantly telling them what to do. That’s going to give you a much better idea of whether they’re ready to handle the responsibility on their own.
An e-bike can be a great responsibility, too.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to give your child more independence. An e-bike can be a convenient way for them to get around, spend time outside, and visit friends. But parents should consider more than whether their child knows how to ride one safely. An e-bike gives a young rider more speed and freedom. Make sure they’re ready for the responsibility that comes with both.
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