E-bike Injuries are up 1800% — but That's not the Full Story

An alarming rise in e-bike-related injuries can be attributed to the lack of clarity in the way we define — and regulate — e-bikes, writes Alvin Holbrook in Velo. Many of the bikes involved in the most severe crashes are more akin to electric motorcycles, with top speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. 

These vehicles skirt the legal regulations for e-bikes and should, according to safety advocates, be regulated differently. A vehicle that doesn’t meet all three federal requirements for e-bikes — “it must have operable pedals, an electric motor of 750 watts or less, and a maximum speed when powered solely by the motor of 20 miles per hour” — is legally a motor vehicle, “subject to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulations, and should not be treated the same way as other e-bikes.”

According to Holbrook, regulatory gaps at the federal level and inconsistent enforcement are part of the problem. “Electric bicycles are transforming transportation, providing environmentally friendly, economically accessible mobility for millions.” But their benefits could be outweighed by the safety problems caused by e-motos if policymakers don’t address regulatory confusion. “The solution to cutting e-bike injuries isn’t to ban them or impose onerous restrictions on legitimate electric bicycles. It’s holding e-moto manufacturers accountable for the motor vehicles they produce, requiring honest marketing, and giving federal agencies the authority and resources to enforce existing laws.”