A young Australian woman whose life was completely upended after a horrific e-bike collision, which left her with a staggering $38,000 medical bill, is calling for an outright ban on the controversial devices for drivers under the age of 16.
Holly Maw, from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, was left bloodied, battered and with several shattered teeth after the devastating collision in Freshwater in December of last year.
It resulted in significant trauma to her mouth and jaw and a long, painful recovery involving extensive dental treatment.
Holly, a hospitality worker, recalled how she was leaving a dinner with friends when she was struck down by a 12-year-old boy, who was riding on the high-powered device with a companion.
“My friend was picking me up that night, and I left around 9pm,” Holly told Yahoo News Australia.
“That’s when they just came around the corner and hit me. I honestly don’t really remember it happening or seeing them at all because I got knocked out and was unconscious.”
Holly lost several teeth in the incident and suffered severe trauma to her mouth and jaw. Source: Supplied
She required urgent medical and dental treatment after the collision, with the initial care alone leaving her more than $5,000 out of pocket.
“I was just really scared because there was blood everywhere, blood all over me,” she said.
“I had a couple of teeth pulled out because they couldn’t be saved, so they had to just get rid of them.
“Then they also had to remove a few of my roots, which took about three hours. They then put human bone graft into the roots and then stitched all that up.”
Young Sydney woman out of pocket tens of thousands
Surgeons were able to fit Holly with temporary teeth, but full reconstruction won’t be completed for several months.
That process is expected to cost a small fortune.
Holly explained that because the young rider was just 12 and on an e-bike that wasn’t registered or insured — and with no CCTV capturing the collision — police said there was little they could do to pursue the matter.
She’s now been forced to raise some $38,000 for the upcoming procedures — a feat made more difficult by the fact that she had been unable to work for weeks.
“I had quite a bit off just because I couldn’t eat properly, and then that just was draining my energy, so I couldn’t work. It was hard to get back into normal life,” Holly said.
“I didn’t realise how expensive it would be
“I knew that would be a big cost, but the quotes they gave us were just so shocking.
“And it’s been scary not knowing how I was going to pay. We were unable to get any compensation from anywhere. So it’s just been very stressful for my family and me.”
Holly, centre, says she’s been overwhelmed by the costs to have her teeth reconstructed. Source: Supplied
Push for bans, awareness and rider accountability
Now, Holly wants to see change.
She believes her experience highlights the fact that teenagers are simply ill-equipped to handle the devices, which can reach speeds of up to 25km/h under Australian rules — and even faster if modified.
“I think banning under 16 is a good idea, but I also think there should be a lot more done,” she said, adding that New South Wales needs “much more education” in schools.
“There should be tests done, just like how you get your driver’s licence. I think they should be registered and insured like a car.
“It just makes more sense to do it like that.”
Hoards of teens have created incredible scenes across the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Source: Yahoo News
The reforms under consideration include introducing a minimum riding age and reducing the legal motor power of e-bikes to 250 watts, alongside tougher enforcement against illegal high-powered bikes.
Holly said she regularly sees teenagers riding e-bikes near the high school close to where she lives, describing the devices as “everywhere” in her area.
She said riders often speed through the streets with little warning, making pedestrians feel unsafe.
“I see them all the time, just zooming up and down the road,” she said.
Even families nearby have grown wary of how quickly the bikes appear.
“The family I live with say they have to really hold on to their two-year-old son so he doesn’t run off because they just come around so quickly,” she said.
Holly said she had long been uneasy about the popularity of the devices among teenagers.
“I always thought they were so unsafe,” she said.
But she never expected she would end up on the receiving end of a crash.
“I think they should put some more rules around it or have the kids be responsible for them and understand what can happen if they’re not safe,” Holly said.
“If they do hurt someone or crash into something, they have to be accountable for that.”
A fundraiser to assist Holly with her upcoming medical bills has been established and has so far raised over $15,000.
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