Funded Projects

Borrowed Speed: Preventing Youth E-Bike Injuries

Project Year

2026

City & State

Ventura, California

Program Name

Implementation

Topic

Injury & Violence (LHI)

Program Description

Problem  Adolescent use of electric bicycles (e-bikes) has increased rapidly in Ventura County and across California, introducing new injury risks related to higher speeds, rapid acceleration, and use in shared pedestrian environments. National emergency department data suggest that pediatric e-bike injuries are rising more quickly than injuries from conventional bicycles, with higher proportions of head injuries and fractures. However, most existing bicycle safety education remains focused on traditional bikes and does not address the unique risks of high-speed micromobility.  Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by increased sensation-seeking, evolving executive function, and heightened susceptibility to peer influence. When paired with high-speed devices, these factors elevate injury risk. Families  report uncertainty about e-bike classifications, speed capabilities, and setting developmentally appropriate boundaries. There is a clear gap in youth-centered, developmentally informed, and family-inclusive injury prevention education specific to e-bikes.  Primary Setting and Population  This project will take place in Ojai and Ventura County communities. The primary target population is adolescents ages 12–17 who ride or have access to e-bikes. The project will directly engage 60 youth through school-based and community-based recruitment, including middle and high schools, libraries, parks and recreation programs, youth organizations, and community events. Recruitment will not be limited to clinical populations, ensuring equitable access for youth who may not regularly engage with healthcare services.  A secondary target population includes 40 parents and caregivers of adolescent riders. Caregivers report a lack of guidance on how to discuss safety expectations, speed awareness, and helmet use with their teens. Engaging both youth and caregivers allows the project to address safety as a shared responsibility rather than an individual burden.  Goal  The goal of this project is to reduce preventable e-bike–related injuries among adolescents by delivering developmentally informed, community-based safety education that promotes helmet use, safer riding behaviors, and meaningful family engagement. The project is structured as a 12-month quality improvement (QI) pilot, allowing for iterative refinement of materials and strategies based on youth and family feedback.  Intervention  Three integrated components:  Youth-Centered Safety Education: Interactive sessions will address e-bike speed, stopping distance, shared-space navigation, and peer influence using real-world scenarios.  Helmet Promotion and Fitting Support: A non-judgmental helmet initiative will include fitting guidance, safety gear distribution, and visual cues to reinforce consistent use.  Parent/Caregiver Anticipatory Guidance: Parents will receive tools to support developmentally appropriate conversations about safety, speed, and boundaries.  Using a QI framework, materials will be piloted, evaluated, and refined through rapid-cycle feedback loops. Youth and caregivers will be treated as co-designers, shaping content to improve relevance, clarity, and cultural responsiveness.  Outcomes  Short-term outcomes include increased helmet use, improved youth knowledge of e-bike risks, and greater caregiver confidence in setting safety expectations. Intermediate outcomes include improved family communication about safety and increased community awareness of e-bike-specific risks.  This project will produce a scalable, community pediatrics–based model for adolescent micromobility injury prevention that can be adapted for other communities. By prioritizing education over enforcement and centering youth and family voices, the project aims to establish sustainable behavior change and reduce preventable injuries.

Project Goal

The goal of this project is to reduce preventable e-bike–related injuries among adolescents ages 12–17 in Ventura County by delivering developmentally informed, community-based safety education that promotes helmet use, safer riding behaviors, and meaningful family engagement.

Project Objective 1

Objective 1: Increase Helmet Use  Specific & Time-Phased: By the end of the 12-month project period, observed helmet use among adolescents ages 12–17 riding e-bikes in selected Ojai and Ventura County locations will increase by at least 25% from baseline.

Project Objective 2

Objective 2: Improve Youth Knowledge and Risk Awareness  Specific & Measurable: At least 60 youth will participate in safety education sessions. By the end of each session, at least 75% of participants will demonstrate increased knowledge of e-bike safety, speed awareness, and shared-space navigation.

Project Objective 3

Objective 3: Increase Parent/Caregiver Confidence in Safety Guidance  Specific & Measurable: By the end of the project period, 40 parents/caregivers will participate in educational sessions or outreach activities. At least 70% will report increased confidence in setting and communicating e-bike safety expectations with their adolescents.

AAP District

District IX

Institutional Name

Pediatric Diagnostic Center

Contact 1

Christopher Landon, MD