Wellbeing

Keeping Our Students Safe: E-Bike and E-Scooter Safety

As e-bikes and e-scooters become more common ways for young people to travel, we want to take a moment to share some important safety information with our school community. While these devices can be a convenient and environmentally friendly transport option, they also come with serious safety risks, particularly for children and young people.

E-bikes and e-scooters are motorised vehicles, meaning they can travel at higher speeds than traditional bikes or scooters. This increases the risk of injury, especially if riders are inexperienced or not following road rules. Emergency departments across Victoria are seeing a rise in injuries related to e-bikes and e-scooters, including broken bones, head injuries and serious falls.

What families need to know:

Helmets are mandatory for all riders of e-bikes and e-scooters in Victoria, regardless of age. A properly fitted helmet significantly reduces the risk of serious head injury.
Children under 16 are not legally allowed to ride e-scooters in Victoria.
There are no age restrictions for e-bikes, however riders must still follow all bicycle road rules.
E-scooters have a maximum legal speed of 20km/h, and tampering with speed limiters or modifying devices is illegal.
Legal e-bikes must have pedals, a motor output of no more than 250 watts, and motor assistance that cuts out at 25km/h.

Safe Riding Matters

Young riders are at greater risk because they may have less experience with traffic, hazards and decision-making at speed. A few extra moments of caution can make a big difference in keeping everyone in our school community safe.

We strongly encourage families to:

Supervise children when they are learning to ride
Set clear expectations around where and when riding is allowed
Encourage safe routes and slower speeds
Remind children to stay alert and show extra care around school entrances, crossings and footpaths
Remind children to give way to pedestrians, dismount where required and avoid weaving through crowds.
Remind children that showing off, distractions and phone use while riding greatly increase the risk of injury.

Busy school times

Families are reminded that school drop-off and pick-up times are particularly busy, with increased pedestrian movement, vehicle traffic, bikes and scooters all sharing the same spaces. During these peak times, visibility can be reduced and reaction time is limited, which increases the risk of accidents.

At school, student safety is one of our SWPBS expectations and a priority. We appreciate families working alongside us to reinforce safe behaviours and legal requirements when travelling to and from school. If you have any questions about e-bike, e-scooter safety, or would like support in having these conversations at home, please don’t hesitate to contact the school.

Together, we can help keep our students safe. 💛

Wellbeing Team

References: