E-BIKES ARE GREEN BUT CAN POSE RISKS

With increased usage, injuries are up, and rules are changing

- SARAH RAZA

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 are part of a serious response to climate change. They offer a convenient, emissions-free and cost-effective alternative to cars, but their increasing use is drawing safety concerns.

A study by UC San Francisco found that rider injuries from e-bikes nearly doubled each year from 2017 to 2022, and a UC San Diego study showed injuries in San Diego among e-bike riders under age 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.