Most bike and multi-use paths in Colorado are 8 feet wide and were not designed for motorized traffic that goes 20+ MPH. Over 2 million new e-Bikes are projected to be sold in the US in 2024: 4 million new e-bikes in 2025. Denver just added almost 10,000 new e-Bikes with their 2024 voucher program.
This increase in new e-Bike riders will add additional traffic to trails that are already overcrowded with pedestrians and cyclists.
e-Bike related head injuries have increased 49X in 5 years. The injury tsunami is coming.
The significant increase in Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), especially for kids who are not wearing helmets, should not be ignored.
“It has become an annoying trend to see youngsters riding 3 on an e-Bike on the bike path with no helmets, going 20 MPH without pedaling, and being careless. Things like announcing yourself “on your left” or ring a bell when approaching others from behind is a good example of ways to communicate your intentions to others. Adults can model these safe behaviors to help kids, who learn by doing, by using turn hand signals and bells regularly” said Mark Wood, e-Bike Safety Advocate.
There is an urgent need to improve the safety signage and education to help prevent this trend from growing rapidly. Adding better signage with speed limit and safety reminders to guide safe use of the multi-use paths we all share together. Helmet use is infrequent with youngsters and needs to be consistently reinforced by parents and signage.
Etiquette common to most cyclists, like announcing “on your left” or ring a bell when approaching others from behind, are good examples of ways to communicate your intentions to others to help prevent near misses. Adults can model these safe behaviors to help kids who learn by doing, by using hand signals and bells regularly.
Industry experts suggest the need for a required class for young and new riders before granting permission to use their e-Bikes on roads and paths. The safety classes could be taught in person at schools on weekends to engage the students/seniors by physically showing them what safe riding looks like. Asking kids to watch a video to learn e-bike safety has not been effective and the content is forgotten soon after they watch it.
This class would certify that young riders, who don’t have a driver’s ed course to teach things like awareness and rules of the road/path, have been provided with the basics of safety and rules pertaining to e-Biking in our communities. Parents would be thrilled, and kids would receive clear guidance for what are acceptable and unacceptable behaviors.
Experience dictates that we need to communicate safety messages in a way that the users want to consume that information; and then ask them to share that message with their friends and others. Crashes and near misses between e-Bikes, bicycles and pedestrians are increasing daily. We all share the same multi-use paths. All communities in the Front Range have a responsibility to act now to prevent more e-bike related crashes, especially for our future generations.
2024 e-Bike/Bicycle Crash Report – San Diego County, CA
“Pediatric populations appear to be particularly susceptible to serious injury, with a recent review noting 35% of all e-bike-related trauma occurs in patients under 18.
A study of 561 Israeli pediatric patients noted higher rates of accidents involving motorized vehicles and greater incidence of head injuries, lower extremity trauma, and need for orthopedic operations in the e-bike cohort, compared to conventional bicycles.
The greater proportion of head and neck injuries may be attributable to the larger head-to-body size and weight ratio in children.” – American College of Surgeons