Hi my name is Ashley Rice and I want to talk today about the safety of electric bikes.  Some say electric bikes are the way of the future but should they be?  With technology advancing more everyday it seems logical for modes of transportation to also continue to advance to create more mobility and convenience to the rider.  With the increased use of electric bikes politicians need to create more adequate laws to target the growing demographic.

In the US the use of electric bikes since 2005 have risen about 35%.  With this increase, law makers understand that new laws need to be put in place to target the e-bike community.  In 2015 Governor Jerry Brown signed A.B. 1096 which clarifies the regulation of e-bikes in California.  This bill states that there are three different types of e-bikes classified by the speed a certain e-bike can reach.  Only the lowest level of electric bikes which can reach the speed of about 20 mph is allowed on bike paths.  Most importantly, e-bikes will no longer be regulated like mopeds even though the same rules of the road will apply to both e-bikes and human-powered bicycles. E-bikes will not be subject to the registration, licensing, or insurance requirements that apply to motor vehicles which could seem like it would create problems.  How would a driver of an electric bike be held responsible by the law if they were to get into a serious accident and harm themselves or even other person?

E-bikes are not only popular in the US but the trend originated in China and Europe.  In Switzerland the amount of e-bike riders increased as did the amount of e-bike related accidents.  From 2012 to 2013 the amount of e-bike related accidents rose 25%.  In 57% of those cases the accident was caused by the biker losing control of his bike.  This poses the question are e-bikes really safe?  If an e-bike can reach 20 MPH the same speed at which many cars are driving, then should it be considered a bike?  If this is the case 14 year olds should not be allowed to operate e-bikes just like they are not permitted to operate cars.  Even with a helmet the rise of e-bikes has also brought the rise of accidents and deaths.  Some accountability has to be present and I believe the only way to do this is to require e-bike riders to obtain a valid driver’s license so at least people on the road have some piece of mind.

With the initiation of AB 1096 at the beginning of this year it may seem that California is jumping on the trend of the e-bike but I think it is a little too soon.  The amount of accidents due to the increase of electric bikes sharing the road has increased by 25% and will continue to rise.  Creating accountability and peace of mind is very important to keeping our roads safe.  I believe that e-bikes are not best for safety of the roads right now because there are not enough regulations put in place to keep e-bike riders and others who share the road safe.  With more laws and restrictions placed on e-bikes I believe that they could become valuable modes of transportation that would create more mobility for bike riders.  I encourage you to think about should be done to make our streets and e-bike riders safer?