Electric bikes can be fast and dangerous. Here’s how to stay safe

A delivery worker rides an electric bicycle in New York, July 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) 2026-03-29T05:02:44Z 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.

This article is part of AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health.

Read more Be Well.

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,

原文链接: AP News