On Sept. 24, a 13-year-old boy who attended Nettington Middle School in Scotch Plains, NJ, died when he collided with a landscaping truck while riding an electric bicycle, also known as an e-bike. This heartbreaking incident is just one of many in the growing statistics of e-bike-related crashes.
In recent years, there has been rapid growth in the use of e-bikes. With their convenience and appeal to younger riders, they have quickly become a popular form of transportation. However, this has also led to an alarming number of accidents, particularly involving children and teenagers.
Angela Blankenship, a Westfield mother of three, believes that e-bikes pose a danger not only to the children riding them, but also to Westfield residents as a whole. “Last Halloween, we were sitting on our front porch and a pack of them flew down the street, flew through a stop sign and almost ran over a family,” said Blankenship. “I actually called the police station to ask if they were paying attention or taking any action about it.”
Depending on the class of the e-bike, the motor can either fully control the bike itself or assist the rider’s pedals. In New Jersey, Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes go up to around 20 mph, while Class 3 models can reach speeds as high as 28 mph. However, many riders have discovered tactics that can modify the speed of their e-bike so they travel much faster than they are designed to. This makes these bikes even more vulnerable to fatal crashes.
To Blankenship, an e-bike, a dirtbike and a motorcycle are all one and the same. Westfield is an active town, something that residents greatly admire about it. “I love that [my son] can get on his normal bike and access his friends easily. A child of his age is not mentally developed enough to handle a vehicle of that magnitude. I’m not about to hand him practically a motorcycle,” said Blankenship.
In New Jersey, riders are expected to follow the rules of the road in the same manner as cars. This includes obeying all traffic laws and staying off sidewalks. Additionally, helmets are required for riders under the age of 17. For Class 3 e-bikes, riders are required to obtain a driver’s license, register with the New Jersey Motorized Vehicle Commission and purchase insurance. Otherwise, there are few regulations for e-bikes and e-scooters in New Jersey.
Although certain guidelines can be established, which vary from town to town, in most cases, e-bikes cannot be banned from public roadways, and this issue is left to the state legislature.
The Westfield Town Council banned e-bikes from all park pathways in June. Anyone caught violating this will be issued a citation. If the individual is a minor, their bike will be confiscated by the police and returned to a responsible adult. More recently, on Oct. 1, Union County issued an Executive Order prohibiting the operation of all motorized vehicles in all county parks.
On Sept. 30, at a town council meeting, Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle made several statements regarding the future of e-bike regulations. “I would like to see an age requirement of 16 to operate an e-bike, mandatory road safety and education training and a registration process with small license tags required so police can identify owners without risky pursuits,” said Brindle. The overall goal is not to remove them from the community, but to make them and the streets safer for residents.
When asked about the dangers of e-bikes, Westfield Police Captain John Ricerca, Detective Sergeant Thomas Ostrander and Captain Jason Carter stated that the vehicles are mainly used by middle school students, and they are often the ones involved in accidents. They also stated that they plan to give more presentations at the two middle schools in Westfield, so young riders are better informed about the risks associated with e-bikes.
As e-bikes continue to gain popularity, Westfield and its neighboring towns are forced to confront the challenges that come with them. While officials work toward increasing education and developing more clear regulations, residents hope that awareness will help keep their children safe.