Doctors push for e-bike ban in SA for riders aged under 16

Doctors want a ban on e-bikes for children under 16 years old. (ABC News: Elicia Kennedy) The Australian Medical Association SA is calling for a minimum age of 16 to ride an e-bike in South Australia. Its president, Peter Subramaniam, says e-bike riders are at increased risk of death and injury when riding above 25 kilometres per hour. The SA government is set to review e-mobility device laws in July. Link copiedShareShare articleSouth Australia's peak medical body is calling for a ban on children aged under 16 from riding e-bikes after seeing a rise in injuries and deaths. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) SA wants urgent reforms to current e-bike laws in the state, including mandatory standards for selling e-bikes and lower speed limits on shared paths. In South Australia, there is no age restriction on using an e-bike and, while riders do not require a drivers licence, they are bound by the same road rules as cyclists. AMA SA president Peter Subramaniam told 891 ABC Adelaide e-bikes had health and environmental benefits but were not suitable for people younger than 16. "The concern we have is that there's a growing amount of evidence that e-bikes especially in the under-16s are associated with increased rates of injury and sadly increased fatalities when it comes to riding above the 25 kilometres an hour," he said. "I think the 25km/h we know is likely to be associated with higher injuries if there is impact with pedestrians, older people, people with disabilities and so on." Peter Subramaniam says there have been higher rates of injuries and deaths related to e-bikes. (ABC News: Brant Cumming/File) He said while SA hospitals did not record whether an injury had resulted from an e-device, he had heard anecdotal evidence from an Adelaide doctor. "What we know from our trauma surgeons, my colleague Chris Dobbins who spoke to the media yesterday as well, is that they are associated with brain injuries if you don't wear a helmet," Dr Subramaniam said. "Secondly, it is associated with what we call blunt trauma: chest injuries, abdominal injuries and long bone fractures." In Western Australia, e-bike riders must be 16 years old and over while New South Wales and Queensland are preparing to introduce an age limit. Noticing a lot of e-bikes around lately? Here's a state-by-state breakdown of the laws about them. "The European Union, for example, set a minimum riding age of 14, and if you do want to ride a higher-powered device in Europe, you require registration, insurance, driving licence and a mandatory helmet use," Dr Subramaniam said. "That's the extent in which we now know that these things are in fact a risk to people if not appropriately managed." The AMA SA is also asking the state government to consider safeguards to ensure unsafe e-bikes are not being sold. "It's at the point of sale that there has to be some mechanism for us to ensure that the power wattage is not above anything that can drive the vehicle at greater than 25km/h," Dr Subramaniam said. The SA government has planned to review legislation on e-mobility devices, including e-bikes and e-scooters, since its implementation in July last year. Joe Szakacs says the government will take "a close look" at e-bike laws in coming weeks. (ABC News: Carl Saville) SA Transport Minister Joe Szakacs told 891 ABC Adelaide he was "not going to pre-empt" the review, which would receive advice from medical experts. "But the reality is e-bikes, the technology, is certainly something that has been creeping up on us and we will absolutely be taking a close look at this," he said. He said he was concerned to hear about preventable head injuries from riders not wearing helmets. "I think it is really important to note that, just listening to the doctor then around the number of head injuries that are occurring, that he and his colleagues see coming through; it just makes me lament," Mr Szakacs said. "Helmets are not negotiable, whether you're riding an e-bike or whether you're riding a bicycle or any other type of personal mobility device." Dr Subramaniam said the AMA's suggested reforms targeted e-bikes, and that e-scooters were "a separate issue". Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesInside this town, 'it's not a secret' that half the people don't officially existTopic:Regional Communities

Doctors push for e-bike ban in SA for riders aged under 16

Key takeaways

More in international