E-Bike Accidents Highlight Risks Posed By Lack of Regulations Nationwide

As e-bike sales and rentals have surged across the U.S., head injuries from related accidents increased 49-fold between 2017 and 2022.

Multiple news reports published in recent months have highlighted how injuries sustained in e-bike accidents resemble those of motorcycle crashes more than traditional bicycle accidents, largely because of the speeds that these motorized bikes can reach. However, regulatory frameworks nationwide have not kept up with the growing popularity of e-bikes, which pose unique hazards for both riders and others on the road.

E-bikes are bicycles outfitted with an electric motor, battery and controller that assist the rider while pedaling, making it easier to climb hills, travel longer distances or maintain higher speeds. They are available in a variety of styles with adjustable levels of assistance. Some models, including Class 2 e-bikes, also feature a throttle that can propel the bike without pedaling.

Their use has surged nationwide in recent years as sales and rental programs have expanded rapidly. Major operators such as Lime, Bird and Citi Bike have added thousands of e-bikes to their fleets, making them widely available in cities like New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. 

However, growing concerns have been raised in recent years over e-bike safety hazards. A Rad Power e-bike battery warning was issued last month, following reports of more than 30 battery fires, including at least 12 incidents that caused an estimated $734,500 in property damage.

In addition, a lawsuit filed in June alleges that Amazon sold a defective collapsible e-bike that failed during use, leaving the rider in a coma and permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

Severe Injuries Linked to E-Bike Accidents

A New York Times Magazine report published late last month highlights the story of a high school sophomore, Amelia Stafford, in Marin County, California, who suffered severe head trauma as the result of an e-bike crash in 2023.

Stafford had been riding on the back of a friend’s e-bike without a helmet, believing the short trip would be safe, when the bike toppled over and her head struck the pavement. Friends recalled her eyes rolling back and blood emerging from her ears.

She was rushed to the hospital, where a CT scan revealed bleeding between her brain and skull. Although the first neurosurgeon was able to stop the bleeding, Stafford required a helicopter transfer to another hospital for further care. 

In total, she underwent at least five separate hospital stays, including a medically induced coma in September 2023, and later developed a bacterial brain infection after waking. Surgeons ultimately replaced a fractured portion of her skull with a synthetic replica.

Stafford’s injuries are far from the only serious accident linked to e-bikes in recent years. According to an article published in the Philadelphia Inquirer in October, Itamar Dreschler was riding his bicycle down a trail in southeastern Pennsylvania, when he suddenly found himself lying on the ground, with his helmet cracked. Eventually, he realized he had been struck by a rider on an e-bike.

Drechsler’s accident left him with a fractured vertebra and a partially dissected artery in his neck. He underwent surgery to implant a titanium plate and spent months in a neck brace, which he was only allowed to remove while showering.

Both the Philadelphia Inquirer and New York Times Magazine cite numerous other incidents of severe head, neck and back injuries as a result of e-bike accidents.

E-Bike Legislation Is Lacking Across the U.S. 

Despite a steady increase in e-bike injuries during recent years, federal and local regulators have still not implemented effective e-bike legislation to address the risk these motorized vehicles pose on roads and sidewalks.

According to New York Times Magazine, more than one million e-bikes were sold in the U.S. in 2022, which was a sharp increase from the 287,000 sold three years earlier. However, during that same period, the number of injuries increased 10-fold, from 2,215 to 23,493, while e-bike head injuries increased 49-fold between 2017 and 2022.

However, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Drechsler’s assailant was neither cited nor fined for riding a motorized vehicle on the bike trail. The outlet notes this is common, since many jurisdictions categorize e-bike injuries alongside traditional bicycle accidents instead of treating them as motorized vehicle incidents.

“Public policy is lagging behind the technological developments in micromobility. Many states have clearly defined e-bike laws, but a lack of awareness among local officials and police officers has led to poor regulation and enforcement.”

— Philadelphia Inquirer

In addition, some states such as Pennsylvania define e-bikes as any low powered cycle that uses pedals in addition to electric assistance. However, this would also include newer model “e-motos,” which are more or less motorcycles with bicycle pedals capable of traveling two to three times faster than traditional e-bikes. 

California E-Bike Laws

In California, Stafford later testified as a star witness in support of California Assembly Bill 1778, which was passed in August. The law prohibits anyone under 16 from riding Class 2 e-bikes and requires helmet use for all riders.

Governor Gavin Newsom also signed additional measures requiring e-bike batteries to be tested by accredited laboratories and authorizing a pilot program in San Diego County restricting Class 1 and Class 2 e-bike use for children under 12.

Marin County, where Stafford resides, already has a similar law in place, yet it is often only enforced after a prior infraction, such as running a red light, due to an inability for police to stop somebody based solely upon their apparent age.

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