How is driving your kids in traffic on an electric bike any different than having them on a motorcycle?

[Anonymous]

Just wondering lately, as I have witnessed so many parents with their toddlers on their electric bikes driving in rush hour how it is any different than having them on a motorcycle? At least on a motorcycle, people wear more than a bike helmet?

[Anonymous]

Speed:

The rate at which an object covers distance, defined as the distance traveled divided by the time it took to travel that distance

[Anonymous]

It's not. I hope someone in this city runs on banning those things. They are nothing but a nuisance and a public safety hazard.

[Anonymous]

Compared to motorocycles, class 1 or 2 e-bikes are a lot slower, require more physical activity, and have a significant environmental benefit. This means they are safer, healthier, and good for the planet.

[Anonymous]

E-bikes have seats designed to hold kids. Motorcycles don’t

[Anonymous]

It is not any different if a motorcycle is traveling at 20 mph and a fat tire bike is traveling 20 mph

- trauma nurse. Not a pediatric one, thankfully

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not any different if a motorcycle is traveling at 20 mph and a fat tire bike is traveling 20 mph

- trauma nurse. Not a pediatric one, thankfully

Thank you. But watch how fast people come on here to defend their decision to put their babies on one of those.

[Anonymous]

Pediatricians are not fans of ebikes or e scooters for kids.

My nephew died on a motorcycle at 22 (full gear, he just took a turn wrong and the bike landed on him).

[Anonymous]

E-bikes may be slower than motorcycles, but the surrounding traffic is still 5000 lb SUV going over the speed limit. Regs have not caught up.

Underpowered e-bikes may be worse in some ways. One of the mantras of safe motorcycle riding is "accelerate out of danger". You need to have some power available to respond to dangerous situations on the road. E-bikes don't have it.

[Anonymous]

its not it blows my mind that parents allow them on the main roads like this. With that being said I see some tools in Arlington take their special little ones and strap them to the front of their kids sans helmets so they will take the brunt of the hit.

You can't make this stupidity up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not any different if a motorcycle is traveling at 20 mph and a fat tire bike is traveling 20 mph

- trauma nurse. Not a pediatric one, thankfully

I’ve never gone above 13 mph or so on my e-bike. I agree that biking is more dangerous the faster you go.

[Anonymous]

These people are living in their own bubble expecting that other people are going to be well behaved when they cut in front of them or block traffic during rush hour. It's like they forgot they are living in the city and not in a small town

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These people are living in their own bubble expecting that other people are going to be well behaved when they cut in front of them or block traffic during rush hour. It's like they forgot they are living in the city and not in a small town

Arlington people are the worst with this. They don't live in the real world at all where bad things can and do happen. Check out rush hour traffic down extremely narrow and winding george mason or glebe, tiny babies on these home made contraptions/baskets. The crap I've seen driving there daily some of it should be reported to CPS. DH and I have said they seem like they're literally TRYING to kill their children. You have drivers on their phone on the phone not paying any attention the roads narrow and winding and I was almost side swiped yesterday but these people put tiny children and babies in these unsafe contraptions. It's insane. I'd love to talk to one of these fools.

[Anonymous]

I think this is very dependent on context.

Riding 10-12 blocks on a residential street with your kid on a cargo bike, where you travel no faster than a kid on their own non-e-bike would, seems very different from a motorcycle. In fact it seems as safe or safer than a kid riding their own bike to school (the cargo bike will have better visibility and an adult rider usually have better judgement than a child), which most people would think is fine in a residential neighborhood.

On the other hand, there are definitely people using e-bikes as car replacements and towing their kids all over the city in them, including on roads where posted speed limits exceed 35 mph and drivers regularly exceed 50 mph, through intersections with poor signage and bike infrastructure, and traveling much faster than most bike commuters on non-e-bike would be able to go, due to the electronic assist on their bike. This is really not much different from putting a child seat on a motorcycle. I do question the judgment of these parents and would never do this myself.

I bet the kids love it though.

[Anonymous]

Imagine if we had a decent biking infrastructure like most developed countries (but yes that's another topic). Kids should absolutely not be riding either of these on public roads especially without helmets as I often see.