Kids are always on the move — but these days they can move much faster. The rise of electric bikes and electric scooters means kids can cover more distance faster. Unfortunately, traveling at a higher speed can also mean crashing at a higher speed.

We talked to several specialists from our Injury Prevention Department, as well as an emergency department (ED) doctor, to learn just what impact these e-vehicles are having on children (and their bones).

E-bikes and e-scooters present dangers traditional bikes and scooters do not

“E-bikes and e-scooters came out so fast that they got ahead of all the ways we try to implement safety,” says Clare Decker, Injury Prevention Manager at Children’s Hospital Colorado. “They came out ahead of the laws, ahead of helmet information, and ahead of the data and research we usually use to help keep people safe.”

Helmets designed for traditional bikes aren’t enough for e-bikes, which can more easily travel at faster speeds. When you combine a faster moving electric bike with a child who is not wearing the appropriate protective gear and who may not know the traffic laws, bad things can happen. Maria Mandt, MD, has seen those things firsthand as a Children’s Colorado emergency department doctor.

Most common injuries from e-bikes and e-scooters

“For e-bikes, head, neck and facial injuries are among the most common injuries we see,” says Dr. Mandt. “When kids fall, they tend to lead with their heads. If we now place them on a bike that is going faster than what they are used to riding, they can easily lose control and catapult off the bike.  In 2025, Children’s Hospital Colorado cared for 62 patients who suffered injuries from e-bike and e-scooter accidents that required a trauma surgeon. Of those, nearly half of them had head, neck or facial trauma.”

Dr. Mandt says the emergency department sees a lot of head, neck and facial injuries because traditional bike helmets aren’t designed for the speed of an e-bike. Standard bike helmets are capable of protecting a child's head at maximum speeds of 12 to 15 mph. E-bikes now travel at speeds of 20 mph or greater, which means that a special helmet is required.

Unfortunately, few children wear an e-bike helmet, or any helmet at all. In fact, only 45% of children suffering significant trauma after an e-bike or e-scooter accident were wearing a helmet according to Children's Colorado trauma data from 2025. Since e-bikes travel at faster speeds, Dr. Mandt recommends riders wear helmets designed for e-bikes that include a chin guard attachment.

When it comes to e-scooters, Dr. Mandt sees more injuries to the extremities — broken arms, wrists and ankles. In addition to a helmet, she recommends wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads when using an e-scooter.

Electric bike and electric scooter safety tips

You should not allow your child to ride an e-vehicle if they are not mature enough and capable enough to ride one. However, if you think your child is ready to ride an e-vehicle, our experts have provided some safety tips to help them enjoy themselves and avoid serious injury as much as possible. They also warn that even if your child follows all these tips, serious injury is still possible and that is a risk they must understand no matter what.

Helmet, helmet, helmet

For Dr. Mandt, rules one, two and three are helmet, helmet and helmet — something she says she can’t emphasize enough. She reminds her patients, “We can fix a lot of things in the emergency department. What we can’t fix is severe brain injury from not wearing a helmet. You get one chance with that brain – if you don't protect it, there is no do-over.” Our Injury Prevention team agrees: Helmets are critical for all wheeled activities.

In addition to simply wearing a helmet, the team stresses finding the appropriate helmet that matches the class of bike your child is riding. Our experts note that when traveling at higher, sustained speeds, a standard helment made for a traditional bike may not be enough. A helmet with a chin guard provides better facial protection and should be used for higher speed e‑bikes.

Safety gear for e-scooters

In addition to helmets, our experts recommend wearing wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads. These can help reduce the chance of common extremity injuries, such as broken arms or wrists.

Talk with your kids before they ride e-bikes or e-scooters

Make sure your kids understand that speed increases risk — e‑bikes and e‑scooters allow riders to reach and maintain higher speeds than traditional bikes. Higher speeds reduce reaction time, can make the bike more difficult to control, and increase the force of impact in a crash. Children don’t yet have the experience needed to safely judge speed, traffic gaps or how quickly a situation can become dangerous.

Know the rules of the road for electric bikes and electric scooters

If your child is going to be riding on the road or near it, they should know the actual traffic laws as well as common rules of the road. They must also understand that they cannot assume drivers always drive perfectly. Even if the rider of an e-bike or e-scooter has the right-of-way and a driver hits them, they will still get severely injured no matter who is at fault.

There are also unwritten rules that experienced riders know to follow. For example, when crossing in front of a car, make eye contact with the driver of the vehicle to make sure they see you before crossing. Simply riding in lower traffic areas also reduces risk — this sometimes means just riding one street over, parallel to the original street your child might usually ride on.

The technology behind e-bikes and e-scooters can affect safety

Purchase your e-bike or e-scooter from a reputable seller and avoid counterfeit or unlabeled products. Sometimes businesses that sell these products do not align with the regulations that are in place to help improve safety. Companies or sellers based in a different country, for example, might not have the same regulations of those in the U.S. These sellers might also be selling-off brand products or ones that can be easily modified.

Learn about the E-Bike Safety Campaign from Colorado Department of Transportation.

E-bike class FAQs

Colorado law divides electric bikes into three classes and also defines electric scooters.

What is a Class 1 electric bike?

An electric bicycle that only provides assistance when the rider is pedaling; the motor stops providing power at 20 miles per hour (mph).

E-scooters follow the same laws as class 1 electric bicycles. The law defines a scooter as a device:

• Weighing less than 100 pounds
• With handlebars and an electric motor
• Powered by an electric motor
• Having a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour on a paved, level surface when powered solely by the electric motor

What is a Class 2 electric bike?

An electric bicycle that provides assistance regardless of whether the rider is pedaling; the motor stops providing power at 20 mph.

What is a Class 3 electric bike?

An electric bicycle that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling; the motor stops providing power at 28 mph. Class 3 electric bicycles must have a speedometer.

Laws regarding classes

Colorado law only requires helmets for Class 3 e‑bikes, leaving many children unprotected on other fast devices. However, the state of Colorado does recommend that a person be at least 16 years old to ride a Class 3 e‑bike. Our experts emphasize that the legal minimums are not the same as safe practices, especially for children.

Many experts stress that parents should carefully consider several factors before allowing their child to ride an e-vehicle, including a child’s:

• Size
• Maturity
• Ability to follow traffic rules
• Risk awareness

Colorado laws regarding e-bikes and e-scooter

As our experts mentioned, the laws and regulations have not caught up with the speed at which e-bikes and e-scooters have hit the streets. While there are some pieces of legislation currently under review for e-bikes, our experts believe there is more that needs to be defined and passed into law regarding safety and e-bikes and e-scooters. The pieces of legislation currently under review include:

• HB25-1197, Sale of Electrical Assisted Bicycles Requirements
• HB26-1125, Parent Penalties Minor Using Electric Bicycle