E-Bike Chaos in Sydney's Affluent Northern Beaches Leaves Elderly Woman with Brain Bleed
One of Australia's most exclusive and expensive residential areas, the Northern Beaches of Sydney, is grappling with a severe and escalating crisis involving rogue e-bike riders. The situation reached a distressing climax last week when an elderly woman, identifying herself as 'Robin', was hospitalised with a serious brain bleed following a hit-and-run incident.
Traumatic Collision at Bus Stop
Robin recounted her harrowing experience to Sydney radio host Ben Fordham on 2GB. She described waiting at a bus stop in the suburb of Balgowlah when she observed a young e-bike rider approaching at excessive speed. "I could see this kid coming, he was going so fast I actually thought he was out of control," she said. Despite attempting to move away from the shelter, the collision was unavoidable. "He hit me and sent me flying... my head and my hands hit the ground first."
The impact left Robin with significant injuries, including a brain haemorrhage and extensive bruising that turned her face purple. "Even the whites of my eyes were black," she revealed. Shockingly, the rider fled the scene immediately, leaving her injured on the roadside. She was only assisted when a vigilant bus driver, stopped at a nearby red light, rushed to her aid.
A Community at Breaking Point
Robin's ordeal is not an isolated event. The Northern Beaches community is inundated with reports of dangerous and antisocial behaviour by youths on e-bikes. Social media and local community pages are flooded with accounts of riders hurling objects at vehicles, including water balloons and rocks.
Local motorist Gerard Kennedy captured video evidence in mid-January of four youths on e-bikes throwing a water balloon at his car. He has since provided the footage to police, warning that such actions could cause drivers to take dangerous evasive manoeuvres. "This behaviour is very dangerous... it could lead to an accident," Kennedy stated online, urging the perpetrators' parents to come forward.
Another resident shared photos of a group of children on e-bikes who threw a large rock at a car in Jacka Park before fleeing. The post pleaded with parents of private school boys to identify them, emphasising that "this is dangerous behaviour which is completely unacceptable."
Calls for Urgent Police Action and Regulatory Crackdown
Gerard Kennedy, speaking to media, expressed grave concerns about the safety risks posed by these powerful vehicles. "These bikes are on footpaths, going at high speeds... There's so many on the road and some are going faster than motorbikes," he said. He highlighted the significant weight of e-bikes, noting they can be ten times heavier than a standard bicycle, posing a lethal threat in a collision. "They're going to kill people if they hit them," he warned.
Kennedy criticised the current police response as insufficient, calling for consistent, targeted enforcement. "Police do blitzes on illegal e-bikes... every now and again but, honestly, I don't think they do it enough. It's got to be consistent," he argued. He proposed a direct approach: "They need to go and sit outside schools because that's where these illegal bikes are. Test every bike and put a crusher machine at the front for illegal ones."
He lamented that the perceived impunity for young riders has fostered a culture of recklessness, stating the community has "had a gutful of it."
Broader Pattern of Injuries Emerges
Robin's experience at the hospital underscored that her case is part of a wider pattern. During her treatment, an x-ray technician informed her that she was the third e-bike injury case that day. Furthermore, Robin revealed her own daughter had suffered a severe arm injury in an e-bike incident nine months prior, requiring plates and screws and ongoing physiotherapy.
The behaviour is reported to intensify during school holidays and at the end of the school day, suggesting a link to unsupervised youth activity. The community's frustration is palpable, with residents fearing a tragic accident is imminent unless authorities take decisive action.
Requests for comment have been made to NSW Police and Northern Beaches mayor Sue Heins regarding the crisis and planned countermeasures.
