By Lloyd Jones

Children whizzing to class on e-bikes and e-scooters have worried drivers calling for them to be banned for the school commute.

Nearly 40 per cent of drivers want the electric-powered devices banned from school zones altogether, a survey by insurer AAMI reveals.

Motorists cited children’s lack of safe riding knowledge, the speed of the devices and insufficient legislation as key issues.

When asked if children should be allowed to ride e-bikes and e-scooters to and from school, 52 per cent of drivers said no, 20 per cent said yes and 29 per cent said yes but only with a supervising adult.

A recent rise in serious crashes involving young people and electric mobility devices has heightened concerns as millions of students prepare to return to school.

Several schools in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia have already introduced bans on school grounds from the start of this year.

Drivers were concerned about children on the mobility devices being hard to see from cars and 58 per cent wanted children restricted to bike paths.

Australian Road Safety Foundation founder and chair Russell White said many Australians were unaware that in several states it was illegal for children under 16 to ride e-bikes and e-scooters.

In Queensland, 12 to15-year-olds are allowed to ride personal mobility devices under close adult supervision.

“School zones are busy enough without adding turbo-charged kids into the mix,” Mr White said in a statement.

AAMI spokesperson Leah James said the survey highlighted the urgent need to improve awareness of safety and legal requirements, particularly among parents.

Confused and distracted drivers not always following the rules, combined with e-bikes and e-scooters driven by kids with limited road safety experience was a “recipe for chaos”, Ms James said.

Coming off the back of Christmas there were a lot of children who now had e-bikes and e-scooters and her own 10-year-old was desperate for one, Ms James said.

“I’m sticking to my guns, trying to explain to him that he’s not mature enough, he doesn’t understand the road sense.

“I know the stats of drivers within school zones so there’s absolutely no reason that I would let him have one to and from school.”