"I Thought It Couldn't Happen to Me"

Text 1: My Brother's Accident

Last spring, my brother Sam, who was fifteen at the time, borrowed an electric bike from a friend. He did not have a helmet, but he said that he was only going to the supermarket, three minutes from our house. On the way back, he rode on the sidewalk to avoid the traffic. Suddenly a woman came out of a building with her baby's stroller, and Sam turned sharply to avoid her. He hit a lamppost and fell onto the road.

Luckily, the woman and the baby were not hurt. Sam broke his arm and needed eight stitches in his head. The doctor told us that he was lucky, because without a helmet the injury could have been much worse.

For weeks after the accident, Sam didn't want to talk about it. Then, one evening, he surprised us. He asked our parents if he could speak to the students at his school about what happened. Last month he stood in front of three hundred students and told them his story. "I thought it couldn't happen to me," he said. "I was wrong."

After the talk, many students came to speak to him. One boy told him that he had bought a helmet that same day.

Text 2: E-Bike Safety: Know the Rules

Electric bikes are a fast, cheap and green way to get around the city. But they are also heavier and faster than regular bikes, and every year many riders are seriously hurt. Before you get on an e-bike, make sure that you know the rules.

Age: In many places, you must be at least 16 years old to ride an electric bike.

Helmet: Every rider must wear a helmet on every ride, even a short one. Head injuries are among the most serious injuries in e-bike accidents.

Where to ride: Use bike paths whenever you can. If there is no bike path, ride on the right side of the road. Riding on the sidewalk is not allowed, because it puts people who are walking in danger.

Speed: The motor of a legal e-bike stops helping you at 25 kilometers per hour. Bikes that have been changed to go faster are against the law.

One rider only: An electric bike is built for one person. Never take a friend on the back.

At night: Turn on your front and back lights so that drivers can see you.

Remember: these rules are not there to spoil your fun. They are there to bring you home safely.