Han Ximin

ximhan@126.com

WITH the popularity of app-based bikes, a rise in bike-related accidents caused by riders, especially those under the age of 12, is raising concerns.

On March 22, a primary school student on an app-based bike was run over by a van going in the same direction as it turned right from Baoyuan Road into a parking lot in Xixiang, Bao’an District.

The driver was unaware of the accident until a driver of a private car named Zhao tapped on his window to tell him.

The child, who luckily only received minor injuries, was pulled out by Zhao and local residents and taken to a hospital.

In another accident April 20, a grade-8 student at a middle school in Luohu surnamed Tang, was in a rush to get home after school when his bicycle hit a stone post on the roadside. After Tang got home, he felt abdominal pains and was taken to a community clinic by his neighbors. Tang was later transferred to Shenzhen People’s Hospital. Medical checks showed that Tang had suffered damage to his spleen and was in critical condition. He later underwent surgery to remove his spleen.

In April, a child riding an ofo bike in Xili, Nanshan District was hit by a car when the child suddenly turned from an auxiliary road onto the main road. The 10-year-old child suffered bone fractures, a head injury and a broken tooth.

The latest fatal bike accident was posted on the official microblog by Shenzhen police Tuesday.

A woman riding an app-based bike against traffic was hit head-on by a bus Sunday.

The woman, who died at the scene, held most of the responsibility since she had been riding the bike in the motor lane. The bus driver will be held partially responsible for negligence and possibly speeding.

The case is still under investigation.

Statistics from police showed a total of 3,318 under-age people were injured in bike accidents. The popularity of app-based bikes has increased the rate of injuries on the road.

According to China’s traffic safety regulations, children under the age of 12 are not allowed to ride bikes on roads. Shenzhen police and education authorities issued a joint notice this February, telling parents not to rent bikes for kids under the age of 12 or put their toddlers in the bicycle basket while riding the bike.