Electric bikes can be fast and dangerous. Here's how to stay safe
[March 30, 2026]
By SARAH RAZA
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The 14-year-old was riding an electric bicycle
at an estimated 25 mph when he slammed into Janet Stotko during her
evening walk, leaving her unconscious and bleeding on a sidewalk in her
Minnesota neighborhood.
The 2024 crash nearly killed Stotko, who was raced to a hospital with
severe brain injuries, a facial fracture and broken eardrum. But after
being on a ventilator for two days, spending three weeks in the hospital
and enduring brain surgery, she survived, surprising even her doctors.
At a checkup, she said, her doctors told her, “Wow, we can’t believe
you’re here.”
Now, she's pushing for stricter laws regulating e-bikes in hopes that
others won't be hurt.
E-bikes offer a convenient, eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative
to cars, but their increasing use is drawing safety concerns. A study by
the University of California, San Francisco found that rider injuries
from e-bikes nearly doubled each year from 2017 to 2022, and a
University of California, San Diego study showed injuries in San Diego
among e-bike riders under 18 soared 300% from 2019 to 2023.
Under federal law, most e-bikes are considered nonmotorized vehicles
just like traditional bicycles, so riders don't need a driver's license
or insurance and they don't have to wear a helmet. But many states have
more stringent rules, and regulations vary widely.
Health experts have called for new laws and better enforcement of
existing regulations, and officials in many places are taking action.
Here’s what e-bikers should know to keep themselves and people around
them safe.
Not all e-bikes are the same
Many states have adopted a three-tier classification of e-bikes: Class 1
have motors that kick in while riders pedal with maximum speeds of 20
mph; Class 2 have throttles that reach the 20 mph maximum without
pedaling; and Class 3 provide pedal-assist up to 28 mph.
There are faster versions available, sometimes called e-motos, that can
reach 40 mph even without pedaling. Many states treat these bikes like
motorcycles, so they're not allowed on sidewalks or paths, but in some
states there are no specific rules for the ultra-fast bikes.
As John Maa, a general surgeon at MarinHealth Medical Center in Northern
California, notes, it's basic math that increased speeds lead to
increased injuries.
“It’s Newton’s principles, right? Force equals mass times acceleration,
and also kinetic energy is mass times velocity squared," Maa said.
Learn where you can and can’t ride
Speed limits, helmet requirements and other rules for e-bikes are
changing rapidly, and what’s legal in one city or state might be illegal
in the next.
New York City imposed a speed limit of 15 mph on all electric bikes in
October, and Florida lawmakers recently sent the governor a bill
limiting e-bike speeds to 10 mph within 50 feet of pedestrians. In
Connecticut, an October law requires all e-bike riders to wear a helmet,
and bikes without pedals equipped with batteries over 750 watts will
require a driver's license.
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 “We were not only hearing from
manufacturers and riders, but we were hearing from concerned
citizens trying to share the road with these new electric bikes and
e-scooters, and also law enforcement who really needed some clear
policies set into place,” said Christine Cohen, the Connecticut
state senator behind the legislation.
Know your bike
The market is full of vehicles that blur the line between a
traditional e-bike and something closer to a motorcycle, and
manufacturers don’t always make the distinction easy to spot.
To understand a bike's capabilities and where it can be legally
ridden, check its top speed, motor wattage, and whether it requires
pedaling or operates on throttle alone. Anything outside the
three-class classification could be subject to motor vehicle
regulations, making it illegal to ride on some shared-use paths
where slower e-bikes are allowed.
“The first thing we always tell people is familiarize yourself, read
the manual, look at some videos, look at your specific model,” said
Charles DiMaggio, an injury public health researcher and professor
at New York University’s medical school.
Going to a local bike shop instead of buying online can help,
enabling riders to ask questions, take a test ride and learn what's
legal and what isn't.
Follow traditional bike safety measures
Hospitals and medical groups like the American College of Surgeons
and American Association of Neurological Surgeons have called for
stricter policies and offered safety tips.
Above all, they stress wearing a helmet. Other tips include riding
defensively around cars, using front and rear lights, wearing
reflective vests in the dark, and avoiding biking under the
influence of drugs or alcohol. Experts also recommend against
altering an e-bike to make it faster.
Maa added that e-bike riders should consider wearing a motorcycle
helmet that covers the neck to protect against spinal injuries. He
also advises parents to make sure their children can comfortably
ride a pedal bike before they graduate to e-bikes.
“Make sure they’re comfortable, they understand the rules of the
road, they’re able to navigate turns, understand the flow of
traffic, the use of bicycle lanes," Maa said.
Minnesota victim wants accountability
After she was injured, Stotko told the city council in her
community of Hastings, Minnesota, about her crash to push for a
stricter ordinance. The city agreed, reducing maximum e-bike speeds
to 15 mph on city trails, prohibiting e-bikes on sidewalks and
imposing penalties.
City police issued a citation to the 14-year-old rider for operating
an e-bike underage, but no one was charged for the injury to Stotko.
“It’s really about taking accountability and ownership of owning an
e-bike and operating one,” she said.
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