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The safety organisation VeiligheidNL estimates that 5,000 fatbike riders are treated in A&E [ i.e Accident & Emergency] departments each year, on the basis of a recent sample of hospitals. “And we also see that especially these young people aged from 12 to 15 have the most accidents,” said the spokesperson Tom de Beus.

Now Amsterdam’s head of transport, Melanie van der Horst, has said “unorthodox measures” are needed and has announced that she will ban these heavy electric bikes from city parks, starting in the Vondelpark. Like the city of Enschede, which is also drawing up a city centre ban, she is acting on a stream of requests “begging me to ban the fatbikes”.

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[–] Zamboni_Driver@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

These are not fatbikes. Fatbikes are normal pedal bikes with big tires that are good in snow.

These are Fat Tire e-bikes. You should always be calling them ebikes when discussing them in English. Perhaps this is a mis translation.

[–] HowRu68@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago

It's in the first par. of the article.

" .. thick-tyred electric bikes.. the Dutch call “fatbikes”

[–] JackBinimbul@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Why are 12 year olds even allowed to drive what is essentially a motorbike?

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 1 points 32 minutes ago

Idk how it is in there but In my country, you need only a moped license if it's limited to 45 and no license if 25 km/h. The latter is considered a bicycle with assistance motor.

[–] tgcoldrockn@lemmy.world 17 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

human powered locomotion (foot, bike, skate, etc) and mobility assist devices, should be completely separate from motorized vehicles (electric bike, scooter, cars, combustion,etc). simple as.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 1 points 31 minutes ago

These are legally not really motorised vehicles if you still have to pedal and they don't go above 25.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 11 hours ago (5 children)

Let's give motorcycles with insane torque to children, What could go wrong?

Most of those even don't need you to pedal (which where I live is a prerequisite for e-bikes).

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[–] ian@feddit.uk 7 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

I think the laws where I am in Germany are stricter than the Netherlands. But it's always worth trying more granular rules. Such as age limit, helmets for kids, fines for increasing performance, speed limit or ban in parks. This is fairer, but much harder to police than an outright ban. But big enough fines should be a deterrent. And might be preferred by fat bikers.

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