One in three pediatric trauma cases at Primary Children's Hospital now involves an e-bike or e-scooter, and doctors are urging Sandy-area parents to act before Canyons School District classes resume Monday, Aug. 17.

Dr. Katie Russell, a pediatric trauma surgeon at Primary Children's Hospital for nearly a decade, told Fox 13 that her team has seen an exponential rise in e-bike and e-scooter injuries over the past three years. Statewide, Intermountain Health emergency rooms treated 536 e-bike and e-scooter injuries in 2025, according to the Utah Highway Safety Office. Only 38% of those patients were wearing a helmet.

The speeds are the problem. Russell said a standard bicycle helmet is not enough for children on e-bikes, which can reach 20 to 28 mph depending on the class.

"I'm not talking about a bike helmet; I'm talking about like a full-face motocross helmet to make sure these kids are appropriately protected," she said.

Police stepping up near schools

In neighboring Draper, Lt. Mike Elkins of the Draper City Police Department said officers responded to two serious e-motorcycle crashes in the past 30 days. He said police plan to station officers near schools as classes begin, favoring education over citations.

Sandy City Police have not publicly addressed e-bike enforcement specifically, but the department's Aug. 7 Instagram post signaled heightened traffic enforcement citywide under its #SlowDownSandy campaign. The post cited parents' concerns about children walking to school and families questioning whether neighborhoods are safe for riding bikes. Sandy police logged 148 traffic accidents and issued 397 citations in July.

Bicycle-related crashes statewide spike between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., the window when students ride home from school.

What Utah law requires

Utah's HB 381, which took effect May 6, requires all e-bike and e-scooter riders under 21 to wear a helmet on public roads. Violators face a fine of up to $25. The law also sets age restrictions:

• Under 8: cannot operate an e-bike
• Ages 8–13: must have adult supervision for Class 1 and 2 e-bikes; cannot ride Class 3
• Ages 14–15: can ride Class 1 and 2 independently; cannot ride Class 3
• Age 16 and older: can ride all classes independently

Any device that exceeds 20 mph on motor power alone is not legally an e-bike under Utah law. Those machines are classified as e-motorcycles and require a driver's license, motorcycle endorsement, registration and insurance.

Starting May 5, 2027, riders ages 8–15 will need either adult supervision or a state-issued safety certificate to ride independently on public roads.

What parents should do now

The Utah Highway Safety Office advises parents to take three steps before letting a child ride: check the class of the device, buy the correct helmet and avoid aftermarket modifications that boost speed or power.

Utah does not yet track e-bike crashes separately on its crash report forms, meaning local data for Sandy remains unavailable. An update to the form is expected later in 2026.