Local agencies monitor e-bike use amid safety concerns
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Capable of reaching speeds of up to 20 miles per hour, e-bikes and e-scooters are prompting a reminder from the Ashland Police Department about where and how they can be used.
"We continue to receive complaints of dangerous activities by young people on e-bikes and electric motorcycles on the streets of Ashland," APD wrote in a Facebook post on Monday. "We will be taking enforcement action when hazardous traffic violations are observed, out of a concern for the safety of our young people."
"We are not targeting equipment or persons, we are targeting behavior, and specifically, hazardous behavior," APD Chief Scott Young said in a statement. "We do not want any child to suffer potential serious injuries and we do not want any legal driver to have to live with the effects of injuring a child, even if it was not legally their fault."
Young reports hearing complaints of riders younger than 16 years old running stop signs and passing close to pedestrians who may not hear the electric motors.
"These are not 'slow and roll through' violations, but 20 miles per hour+ straight through violations. While blowing stop signs on a bicycle is also a violation, it typically doesn’t happen with kids at 20 mph or more," Young said. "We are very concerned about serious injuries or worse, should one of these young folks get hit by a vehicle."
Electric bicycles range in class from 1-3, with classes 1 and 2 typically reaching max speeds of 20 mph. Class 3 bicycles can reach higher speeds at around 28 mph. Electric scooters are also classified as motorized bikes.
E-motos, or gas-powered bicycles, typically do not have usable pedals and can reach speeds of over 65+ miles per hour. Class 3 e-bikes and e-motos are also illegal to use on public roads without a valid driver's license. All personal vehicles, motorized or standard, also need to follow traffic laws.
"It is always illegal to go the wrong way on a one-way street, or ignore traffic control devices such as stop signs," Young said.
A U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study found more than 500 people died in deaths involving e-bikes, e-scooters and other small electric vehicles between 2017-24. This rate started at five deaths in 2017, jumping to 135 in 2024.
"Typically regular bicycles or electric scooters, the kind of injuries we see is either people who are struck by other vehicles, by cars, if they're not paying attention or the driver of the car is not paying attention as well," MU Health Care emergency physician Dr. Christopher Sampson said. "Potholes, curbs those type of things, the scooter hits that and people get thrown from it."
The report also found electric vehicle deaths were most common between the ages of 25-44, making up around 30%. Riders 24 years old and younger made up around 18% of deaths.
"The big thing for people to be aware of is they are much faster, they are more powerful than regular bikes and there are various degrees, so not all electric bikes are the same," Sampson said. "There are certain ones that probably approach speeds closer to electric to like mopeds or even faster, sometimes even some lower-end motorcycles."
According to the MSHP, helmets are encouraged on motorized bicycles. Sampson also recommends lights and reflective gear for any riders who are traveling at night.
"Some people don't realize that, they think it's just a bicycle, and it can have a considerable amount of speed and power behind it, which then also increases the likelihood of more severe injury if you should crash into something or somebody hits you," Sampson said.
