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E-Bike Safety

E-Bike Safety
Electric bike (e-bike) sales increased four-fold between 2019 and 2022 when they reached more than one million. In some communities school parking lots are filled with e-bikes. They decrease the effort needed to ride, may inspire greater use of bikes as well as provide the fun of higher speeds for bike riders. By facilitating trips that formerly required use of a car they are helping to get cars off the road, cut commuting times and have already measurably decreased greenhouse gas emissions.

E-bike classes are limited to 20 or 28 miles an hour top speed but can exceed that downhill and can illegally be reprogramed to reach up to 40 miles an hour. Higher speeds decrease reaction time to avoid an accident and increase the severity of any accident that occurs because the kinetic energy absorbed by a human body in an accident increases exponentially with speed. For example, the kinetic energy generated by a speed of ten miles per hour is four time greater than that of riding at five miles per hour. In addition, the increased weight of e-bikes, abut twice that of a conventional bike, increases their kinetic energy when in motion at any speed.

So, e-bikes can be very risky for kids, especially younger ones, mainly because of higher speeds, limited experience, and low helmet use. With the right age limits, rules, gear, and supervision, the risk can be reduced but not eliminated.​ (See Timely Topic: Bike Safety for Kids)

Key risks for children

  • E‑bike injuries in children have been increasing over the last decade. In some communities e-bike crashes are concentrated among 10- to 15-year olds with crashes in that age group five times more likely than among other age groups. And they tend to be more severe than traditional bicycle injuries, with more hospital admissions and severe head injuries.​ Most conventional bike injuries are relatively minor causing bruises, minor cuts, and at the worst, broken collar bones, wrists and ribs and very rarely causing the death of the rider or a pedestrian. One report found that the risk of a pelvic fracture from an e-bike accident was 25 percent, four times greater than from a conventional bike accident and the risk of death from an e-bike injury had soared to 11 percent.
  • Studies report that a large majority of injured pediatric e‑bike riders were not wearing helmets, and head injuries (including concussions and facial fractures) are common.​
  • E‑bikes that reach 20–28 mph (or more if modified), reduces reaction time, increases kinetic energy and makes crashes with cars, fixed objects, or pedestrians more dangerous for kids.​

Age and speed guidance

  • The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and pediatric groups indicate that children under about 9–10 years should not operate e‑bikes that can go more than 10 mph.​
  • For roughly 9–12 year olds, experts advise against riding e-bikes or other devices that exceed 10 mph, lower, child‑specific devices or regular bikes are preferred.​ This rules out most true e‑bikes because  Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are allowed to reach up to 20 miles per hour and Class 2 e-bikes are allowed  to have  a hand-operated throttle.
  • Although the laws and regulations governing e-bike operation have been described as a crazy-quilt, varying greatly according to city, community and state locations, many states prohibit younger teens (often under 16) from operating the fastest Class 3 e‑bikes, with a maximum assisted speed of 28 miles per hour, reflecting the higher risk at those speeds.​

Essential safety rules

  • Always wear a properly fitted, certified bike helmet; add knee and elbow pads, bright or reflective clothing to improve protection and visibility, mirrors, front and rear facing lights and bells or other warning devices,
  • Enforce one rider per e‑bike, no passengers; multiple riders change balance and significantly increase crash risk.​
  • No phones, texting, or earbuds while riding, and require full obedience to traffic laws (stopping at signs, riding with traffic, using hand signals, warning when passing).​

How to set a child up safely

  • Start in a quiet, controlled area (empty parking lot or calm neighborhood street) so the child can learn throttle, braking distance, and turning at low speed before riding near traffic.​
  • Use lower‑power or Class 1 models with conservative speed limits, and enable any parental speed‑limit or power‑limit settings the bike offers.​
  • Provide close adult supervision for younger riders, set clear rules about where and when the e‑bike can be used, and restrict riding to bike paths or low‑speed streets whenever possible.​
  • Participate in training drills for e-bike safety. They focus on building control, balance, braking, and awareness in safe environments like empty parking lots. These exercises account for the added weight, speed, and power of e-bikes compared to regular bikes. Practicing them helps reduce crash risks from higher speeds and longer stopping distances.

Maintenance and equipment checks

  • Regularly check brakes, tire pressure/tread, lights, reflectors, and the bell or horn so the bike can stop and be seen in time.​
  • Inspect the battery and charging setup for damage, overheating, or non‑original chargers, and store/charge the bike in a safe, ventilated area to reduce fire risk.​
  • Avoid the equipment modification hacks that defeat any limitations of speed.

Summing up
There are pros and cons to be evaluated according to an individual child’s situation when considering whether to acquire and allow the use of an e-bike. Clearly the risk of increased speeds is high among the risks to be considered. It is especially important to participate in e-bike training drills prior to e-bike use on paths and streets and always wear helmets and other protections against injury. A child will get more exercise when using a conventional bike to get places.

For more safety and training advice a number of safety and training resources can be found online, for example: Cyclingsavvy at https://cyclingsavvy.org/ebike-safety-resources/

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