Latest news with #scooters
CBS News
5 minutes ago
- Automotive
- CBS News
Police, doctors warn of e-bike dangers as use skyrockets in Massachusetts
No matter where you go in the city, it's not hard to spot an electronic bike or scooter zipping through the streets. On a hot day like Wednesday, Druv Manik told WBZ, in comparison to a traditional bike, "I like these a lot better because they're much faster and I don't have to use much energy." Chris Child, another cyclist agreed saying, "It's a nice way to get around." Over the past few years, e-bikes and scooters have grown in popularity for being fast, fun, and convenient. But when deciding between using it and a traditional bike, medical professionals say you should know the risks. "We have seen a few injuries this year alone in our pediatric intensive care unit," said Dr. Michael Flaherty, a pediatric intensivist at Mass General Brigham. Since e-bikes became more accessible, he claims more kids have been coming in with injuries. "Above all it's head injuries, which are the most dangerous and that's usually due to not wearing a helmet," Flaherty explained. "And then it's a lot of extremity injuries broken limbs, road rash injuries just from the impact of falling and going that fast." According to the doctor, it's an issue that goes far beyond Massachusetts. "In the emergency department, the number is quoted over the past four or five years have been close to 50,000 emergency department visits for e-bike related injuries across the United States," he said. In the town of Hanover, Police Chief Timothy Kane tells WBZ, the amount of youth using e-bikes has skyrocketed. "A lot of times, we're observing these youngsters traveling in the wrong direction, cutting off traffic, not yielding," Kane said. In an effort to keep kids safe, the chief sent out a notice earlier this month saying, "All riders who operate a bicycle on a public way in a manner that jeopardizes the lives and safety of the public will be cited for Operating to Endanger (OTE)." For those under the age of 18, we're told their bikes will be impounded. "We want to make sure that we do everything that we can so that this community can avoid a tragedy," Kane said. The state of Massachusetts doesn't have a clear set of concrete rules and regulations for e-bikes and e-scooters. To prevent more injuries, Flaherty says parents should be educating their children on the rules of the road. "If you're under the age of 16 and you don't have a driver's license you probably shouldn't be riding a motorized bike that can go 20 to 35 mph," he said.
CBC
7 days ago
- Health
- CBC
E-scooter injuries on the rise across Canada, data shows
Social Sharing Hospitalizations related to injuries from scooters and e-scooters have risen, according to new Canadian data, as emergency physicians warn the two-wheeled vehicles aren't toys. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) said Thursday that nearly 1,000 people were hospitalized for scooter-related injuries during the 12-month period starting April 1, 2023. That's up from 810 during the same period of 2022-23. Half of the injuries — 498 — were related to motorized e-scooters, an increase of 32 per cent over the 375 hospitalizations recorded in 2022-23. "Some unintentional injuries are really predictable and preventable, particularly in relation to e-scooter injuries," said Tanya Khan, CIHI's manager of hospital data advancement and engagement in Montreal. Emergency physicians say the extent of injuries can be severe: brain, facial and dental trauma, fractures needing multiple surgeries, or traumatic brain injuries that require intensive care. Some injuries happen when the rider is hit by a car, but physicians are also treating people who have been hit by a rider. Back in 2020, Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) saw a single e-scooter injury. By 2024, that number had jumped to 46. Fast speeds on unstable devices Daniel Rosenfield, a pediatric emergency physician at SickKids, said the hospital saw 16 scooter-related injuries this May alone, compared with three or fewer during the same month in previous years. Rosenfield said injuries can range from bumps and fractures to life-changing head injuries and internal bleeding that need a whole trauma team or intensive care. "This can be anything from just one or two surgeries to full recovery, to lifelong injuries needing rehabilitation hospitals and complete kind of neurologic devastation," Rosenfield said. Given what he has seen, Rosenfield implores parents not to buy e-scooters for children. "They are not toys." WATCH | E-scooter rider versus Canada goose: A 'rogue Canada goose' caused her to fall from her e-scooter, landing her in the ER 2 years ago An e-scooter crash earlier this summer left Jackie Gravel, 61, with a broken jaw and the inability to eat solid foods for six weeks. People need physical maturity to operate e-scooters, Rosenfield said. "From an emotional and cognitive perspective — where you just have the ability to understand where your body is in space, how you can make turns, what's far ahead and what's not — [it is] similar to driving a car." E-scooters can go from zero to 40 km/h in seconds, and many parents aren't aware of that, he said. At SickKids, almost 90 per cent of e-scooter injuries are among teenage boys. Most of them weren't wearing helmets. The hospital's injury rates also showed an increase among children aged four to six riding with a parent or older sibling. "If you have speed plus head injury, a helmet will help mitigate those injuries every time," he said. Pamela Fuselli, president and CEO of Parachute, an injury prevention charity, said micro-mobility devices like e-scooters have small wheels and are unstable when being ridden. "Inexperience comes into play," Fuselli said. "Take some time to learn how to use these devices." She says all users should wear helmets, obey the rules of the road, including speed and alcohol limits, and respect other road users. Noting that provincial and municipal laws and regulations on using e-scooters vary across Canada, Fuselli said stepping up enforcement is important to prevent injuries.
Bloomberg
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
SoftBank-Backed Ola in Crisis Mode A Year After Blockbuster IPO in India
Three years ago, when Ola Electric Mobility Ltd. 's scooters were in high demand as an affordable new offering for India's vast two-wheeler market, co-founder and billionaire Bhavish Aggarwal was spending weeks away in the UK. He set up a sleek R&D outpost in Coventry — the UK's historic automotive heartland — and staffed it with expensive industry stars who had previously sketched Jaguars and Aston Martins. The goal: an electric car of Ola's own, another step in Aggarwal's dream of becoming the Asian nation's Elon Musk.
CBS News
02-07-2025
- CBS News
Redwood City police arrest teens on scooters for alleged drug, ammo possession
Police in Redwood City said they seized drugs and ammunition and made two arrests after a group of teens riding scooters refused to leave a parking garage in the city's downtown last week. Around 6:45 p.m. Friday, police were called to the parking garage at 750 Marshall Street, between Jefferson and Main streets, after a call from private security officers. During a routine patrol, security located at least 15 juveniles who were riding e-scooters in the garage and refusing to leave the property. While officers headed to the scene, police deployed a drone to help locate the teens. As police approached, police said the many of the teens fled the garage in multiple directions. With the help of the drone, officers located several teens. During the investigation, police said they recovered a loaded 30-round rifle magazine, two shotgun shells, a digital scale, plastic bags, suspected cocaine and marijuana, along with cash. Police arrested a 17-year-old and a 14-year-old on suspicion of possession of contraband. The teens were released to the San Mateo County Youth Services Center. Anyone with additional information is asked to call Redwood City Police at 650-780-7100.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Uber Technologies (UBER) Backed Electric Bike Startup Prepares for IPO
Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) is one of the . On June 24, Reuters reported an Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) backed electric bike and scooter network startup called Lime has hired investment banks to prepare for an IPO in the United States. Lime is a San Francisco-based startup, according to the sources of Reuters, it has hired Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase to help with its IPO. The company is anticipated to launch next year and could value the firm higher than its Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) led funding round in 2020. The source added that reports at that time valued the company at about $510 million. The company was founded in 2017 and is now led by Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER)'s former executive Wayne Ting. It provides short-term rentals of electric bikes and scooters in more than 280 cities in nearly 30 countries. Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) is a technology company that operates a ride-hailing platform working in three main areas including Mobility, Delivery, and Freight. While we acknowledge the potential of UBER as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. Sign in to access your portfolio
