What to Do After Your Teen's E-Bike Crash

Knowing what to do after an e-bike crash can make a frightening situation easier to manage. A crash is unsettling whether it leaves a scraped knee or needs emergency care. The first few minutes matter, and so do the next few days. Here is a calm checklist for Australian parents, built on what the health and road authorities publish.

The short answer

Make sure the scene is safe, then check the rider. Call 000 for serious or urgent injury, immediate danger, suspected spinal injury, unconsciousness, a fit or seizure, or any severe head-injury symptom. Get emergency medical help after a high-speed impact or a fall of more than one metre. Follow the operator's instructions, record the crash details, and do not use or charge an impacted battery.

The first few minutes

Your teen may immediately focus on whether the bike is fine. Ask about them first.

If you suspect a spinal injury, call 000 and do not move the person unless they are in immediate danger. Call 000 if they lose consciousness, have a fit or seizure, or show any severe head-injury symptom listed below. If they are wearing a helmet, do not remove it while waiting for paramedics. Sources: Healthdirect, Spinal cord injuries and Healthdirect, Head injuries.

Only if no head, neck or spinal injury is suspected, and it is safe to do so, move them out of the traffic lane. If you are unsure, follow the 000 operator's instructions. Seek medical assistance for anyone who is injured. Call 000 when an injury is serious or time-critical, or when a person is in immediate danger. Source: NSW Government, Bicycle crashes and Triple Zero.

Once everyone is accounted for, and if it is safe, photograph the road surface, the bike, any other vehicle and any visible damage while the scene is fresh.

When a head knock needs an ambulance

Healthdirect, Australia's national health information service, lists specific triggers for calling triple zero after a head injury.

Call 000 immediately if the person falls unconscious, or if they have a fit or seizure. They also need emergency medical attention if there is bleeding that will not stop, or if there is fluid coming from their nose or ears.

Healthdirect also lists symptoms of severe head injury: vomiting, loss of bowel or bladder control, problems with vision, hearing or speech, memory difficulties, seizures or blackouts, and weakness or numbness in the body. Call 000 immediately for any severe head-injury symptom. Symptoms can appear later, and include poor coordination, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, and a worsening headache or confusion. After a mild head injury, Healthdirect says someone should stay with the person for 24 hours and watch for changes. It adds one more emergency trigger that is easy to overlook on an e-bike: get emergency help if the person was moving at a high speed or fell from more than one metre. Source: Healthdirect, Head injuries.

Healthdirect does not define a particular speed as high speed. If you are unsure whether the crash warrants emergency care, seek medical advice rather than waiting to see how it goes.

What NSW asks a rider to do afterwards

NSW riders have legal duties after some crashes, as well as practical steps that help with police and insurance reports.

On the practical side, the NSW Government bicycle crash guidance suggests recording the location, date and time, the names, addresses, driver licence numbers and number plates of those involved, any injuries, any property damage, what happened, and any witness details. Keep that list on your phone so your teen does not have to rely on memory under stress.

On the legal side, Rule 19 of the NSW Road Rules 2014 applies the driver duties to riders, and Rule 287 sets out what happens after a crash. A rider must stop and give the required particulars. Particulars must also be given to police as soon as possible, and ordinarily within 24 hours, if anyone is killed or injured, if particulars are not exchanged, if a vehicle is towed or carried away subject to any exemption, or if police request them. The current rule contains no $500 property damage threshold, despite what some older summaries still say. Source: NSW Road Rules 2014, Rule 287.

Crash-reporting requirements vary by jurisdiction, so check the current police or transport guidance for your own state or territory.

Treat an impacted battery as damaged until it has been checked

This check is easy to overlook. A crash can damage a battery even when the damage is not obvious, and a visual once-over is not enough to clear it. If the pack has taken an impact, do not use or charge it. Have the manufacturer or a qualified technician inspect it. Source: CSIRO and ACCC, lithium-ion battery safety report.

Fire and Rescue NSW lists the damage indicators to look for: batteries that show signs of swelling or bulging, leaking, cracks, dents, punctures, or crushing. Overheated batteries that may have vapours or smoke. Batteries that have gotten wet or have been in water. Batteries that have been in or exposed to fire. Source: Fire and Rescue NSW, e-bike and e-scooter battery safety.

If the battery is smoking, emitting vapour or on fire, do not touch it. FRNSW says to evacuate the area and close doors if it is safe to do so, call triple zero and wait in a safe place for firefighters. The gases and smoke are highly toxic and flammable and must not be inhaled. Never touch a swollen or ruptured device or battery with bare hands, because the heat or chemicals can cause severe burns. Source: Fire and Rescue NSW, battery smoking or on fire.

If there is damage but no smoke, vapour or fire, do not use or charge the battery. FRNSW says damaged batteries should be kept outside in a well-ventilated area, at least 3 metres from any structures or combustible materials, and follow FRNSW disposal directions rather than binning it.

Only after the manufacturer or a qualified technician confirms an impacted battery is safe should normal charging resume. Charge and store it on a hard, non-combustible surface such as concrete or tiles, never on beds, sofas, carpet or other soft furnishings. Keep it away from bedrooms and other living areas, away from exits and escape routes such as hallways and stairwells, and away from anything that can burn. Use an open garage, shed or carport with a working smoke or heat alarm. Do not charge while asleep, away from home or unattended for long periods. Use the supplied charger or certified compatible third-party charging equipment. Disconnect it when full. Source: Fire and Rescue NSW, light electric vehicles.

The helmet, and the days that follow

Bicycle helmets supplied into the Australian market for covered activities must comply with the ACCC mandatory standard, which recognises six standards, including AS/NZS 2063:2020 and AS/NZS 2063:2008. Source: ACCC Product Safety, bicycle helmets mandatory standard.

The standard governs supply, not when to throw a helmet out. On that, NSW Government guidance says to replace a helmet if it has been damaged or involved in a crash, if the helmet polystyrene is cracked, if the straps are worn or frayed, or if the helmet does not properly fit your head. Follow the manufacturer's model-specific instructions as well. Source: NSW Government, wearing the right gear.

On concussion, the national guidance used across Australian community sport is deliberately conservative. The Australian Concussion Guidelines for Youth and Community Sport, published through the Australian Institute of Sport, use the phrase if in doubt, sit them out, and for people under 19 they set 14 days without symptoms at rest before returning to contact training and a minimum of 21 days before competitive contact sport. Source: Australian Institute of Sport, concussion.

That guidance is written for sport, not for riding to school. The parent version is simpler. If concussion is suspected, do not let your teen ride again until they have been assessed and cleared by a medical practitioner.

The conversation, once everyone has calmed down

Once everyone is calm, revisit what happened. Ask three questions rather than delivering a lecture. What did you see first? What would you do differently there tomorrow? What did the other person probably see?

Those questions can help your teen reflect, and may identify a riding habit worth working on. Write the answers down somewhere you will both see them. Progress on road sense is easier to notice with something to compare against.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to report my teen's e-bike crash to the police in NSW?

In NSW, Rules 19 and 287 of the Road Rules 2014 apply the driver crash duties to riders. Particulars must go to police as soon as possible, and ordinarily within 24 hours, when anyone is killed or injured, when particulars are not exchanged, when a vehicle is towed subject to any exemption, or when police request them. Requirements differ elsewhere, so check your own state or territory.

How long should my teen stay off the e-bike after hitting their head?

Recovery timing varies. Australian concussion guidance for people under 19 is deliberately cautious, and a suspected concussion should be assessed and cleared by a medical practitioner before your teen rides again. If any of the Healthdirect emergency signs are present, phone 000 rather than waiting.

The e-bike looks fine after the crash. Is the battery still safe?

A visual check is not enough on its own, because internal damage and battery-management faults are not always visible. If the pack has taken an impact, do not charge it until the manufacturer or a qualified technician has inspected it. If it is swollen, smoking or emitting vapour, do not touch it. Evacuate and call 000.

Where BikeHero fits

BikeHero is designed to help Australian teens ride smarter and give parents peace of mind. Planned lessons include Emergency Help, Safety Tips and Traffic Rules. Join the beta waitlist today at bikehero.au.