Nina Dobrev’s crash and hospitalization after a “bike” accident made international news. The headlines universally claimed that the Canadian actress had been riding either a “bike” or “e-bike.” The fact, supplied by the actress in her Instagram post, is that she was riding a motorcycle, not a bicycle or an electric motorized bicycle. Semantics? I don’t think so. There is a big difference between what Nina was riding and what the press reported.
The photo of Nina before the accident clearly shows her aside a Sur Ron motorcycle. Sur Ron describes their product as a “bike” on their website while the California Highway Patrol defines them as off-road vehicles. Confusing? You bet and that is just the way companies who sell this type of vehicle want it to stay. They will sell a ton more units if consumers believe the vehicles can be operated wherever bicycles and e-bikes are permitted.
I feel for the poor riders who purchase a Sur Ron or Sur-Ron type motorcycle thinking that because it is quiet and electrically powered, it is somehow exempt from all vehicle codes. It’s not. I feel even more sorry for people like Nina, who were never warned of the inherent dangers. No helmet. No gloves. No pads. Didn’t somebody give her the most basic precautions for operating this vehicle?
I hope that Nina’s recovery is short and painless. I also applaud her for telling her story. I only wish the major media would have properly reported the incident to help enlighten the public to these vehicles and their proper operation.
