‘Responsibility lies on all of us’: AAA launches e-vehicle safety guide

AAA launched a free safety guide covering everything you need to know about electric vehicles. The organization said it's in an effort to prevent serious injuries and dangerous situations, like what the metro saw last week when an 11-year-old riding an electric scooter was critically injured in a crash involving

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‘Responsibility lies on all of us’: AAA launches e-bike, e-scooter safety guide

AAA launched a free safety guide covering everything you need to know about electric vehicles. The organization said it’s in an effort to prevent serious injuries and dangerous situations, like what the metro saw last week when an 11-year-old riding an electric scooter was critically injured in a crash involving a pickup truck.

OMAHA, Neb. —

The use of electric bikes and electric scooters, especially by youth, continues to surge across the country and in the Omaha metro.

AAA launched a free safety guide covering everything you need to know about electric vehicles. The organization said it’s in an effort to prevent serious injuries and dangerous situations, like what the metro saw last week when an 11-year-old riding an electric scooter was critically injured in a crash involving a pickup truck.

“It’s really focusing on safety for the roadways as we see this surge in e-bike and e-scooter usage,” said Brian Ortner, with AAA. “They’re not your standard bike. is the biggest thing. I mean, these items weigh more. They go a heck of a lot faster, and they increase some safety concerns when it comes to riders.”

Topics covered in safety guide

Different classifications, types of e-bikes and e-scooters
Tips on how to pick the safest helmet option
Breakdown of current laws, rules of use
Overall safety tips

Ortner said learning the rules of the road is also a crucial component.

“Those of us who are 16 or older have a driver’s license, understand, you know, if you’re talking to eight, 9-year-old children, they may not see the real reason why you need to stop at a stop sign,” Ortner said.

Ortner said it’s up to each family to set clear rules before letting your child ride through the metro, especially because there are no current laws — in Nebraska or Iowa — requiring helmets or age restrictions.

“Set those rules as far as speed, as far as why helmet where you can drive, where you can’t drive, don’t, you know, don’t wear your headphones when you’re riding,” Ortner said. “Yield to pedestrians. Set those rules. Have that conversation before the ride.”

However, Ortner said everyone on the roads needs to “watch for wheels,” whether it is a vehicle with two, four or 18.

“The responsibility lies on all of us for using those roadways,” Ortner said.

To access the safety guide, click here.

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