You can't drive down a Florida street without seeing an e-bike — or electric bike.
Jordi Fonts is an emergency medicine physician at Lee Health. He says that he sees injuries from e-bike accidents every week. And that the injuries are much more severe than from regular bike accidents.
"Typically, on a regular manually operated bicycle, it's tough to get above like 10 mph, 15 mph. On these e-bikes, they're commonly going like 20, 25 mph," said Dr. Fonts.
The higher speeds, he says, causes injuries that mimic motorcycle accidents—broken arms and legs, internal injuries like a collapsed lung, and traumatic brain injuries.
Dr. Fonts says that if you are going to ride an e-bike, protect yourself.
"Helmets are nonnegotiable," he said.
He also recommends wearing long pants and long-sleeved protective clothing. Ride in quieter, residential areas, keep your speed below 20 miles per hour, and don't ride on the sidewalk.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.