“With e-bikes soaring in popularity, regulators have been unable to keep up with the quickly-evolving market. Safety and law enforcement officials note that many models marketed to children and teenagers exceed legal speed limits and more closely resemble motor vehicles, which require a license and registration to operate.
For the moment, the power to decide what teenagers may or may not ride falls to a nongovernmental authority: parents. Across the country, they are expressing a mix of enthusiasm, contrition and uncertainty about the trendy mode of transportation.”
Source:
Richtel, M. (2023, August 29). As teens take to e-bikes, parents ask: Is this freedom or danger?. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/29/health/ebikes-teens-parents.html
Analysis:
I find this article to be of particular relevance to the topic of aviation. Safety is a huge concern with the introduction of new technologies. As we know, many early aviators lost their lives in the development and subsequent mastery. Something that brings freedom and thrills can also be something that is very dangerous. How do we as designers take into account the natural human urge to push the limits of technology and do it in a safe and controlled way. It is a fine balance to find.
