Scooter and E-Bike Accidents on the Rise
While e-bikes and scooters are legal and fun to use, the number of fatalities is rising. The City of New York has released data on e-bike and scooter accidents. As the technology improves and speeds increase, e-scooters are becoming increasingly dangerous to cyclists, pedestrians, and other motorists. In New York City, e-bikes are legal to ride on roads with a speed limit of 30mph. Some are even legal to ride in bicycle lanes.
Pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists have all been victims of e-scooter or e-bike accidents. As the popularity of these devices grows, city officials are scrambling to regulate their use. The city should require that e-bikes be insured and registered with the state. The city should also strip licenses of riders who violate city traffic laws.
Because these vehicles are not required to be registered, insured, or licensed, e-scooters are a significant risk for pedestrians and other motorists. In fact, statistics show that 17 people will die on e-scooters in the city by 2021. New York City has taken steps to reduce the number of e-scooter and e-bike accidents, such as adding partitions to bike lanes and requiring riders to wear helmets.
Electric scooter and e-bike accidents have caused a spike in emergency room visits in New York City. E-scooters were responsible for over three times as many injuries as all other e-mobility devices combined. As a result, 71 people have been killed on these e-scooters in New York. Electric scooters and e-bikes are changing the way New Yorkers commute. However, this has also meant an increase in the number of pedestrian and vehicular accidents involving these electric vehicles.
NewYork E-Bike Injury lawyer explains e-bike laws
There are many reasons why e-scooter and e-bike accidents are on the rise in New York. Pedestrians and riders fail to wear helmets and use common sense. As a result, they are at risk of collisions and uneven road surfaces. Additionally, e-scooter riders are often not visible to other drivers, which makes them more vulnerable to collisions with vehicles.
New York City Electric Scooter and E-Bike Accidents on the Rise
Several cities have banned shared electric scooter and e-bike programs, citing the safety risks associated with these devices. Meanwhile, city officials have legalized electric bicycles and e-scooters with speeds up to twenty miles per hour. In Manhattan, riders are not permitted to ride e-bikes on sidewalks. While they are allowed to ride on bike lanes, they must abide by speed limits, yield to pedestrians, and obey traffic signals.
Recently, a community board on the Upper West Side banned pedal-assist Citi Bikes from protected bike lanes. This ban still stands in the way of a greener, safer New York City. The city is working to determine the best regulations for electric scooters and e-bikes. For now, it is still up to individual jurisdictions as to what regulations are necessary.
The ban on e-bikes is based on a flawed rationale. There are few public supporters of this ban. There is no clear public safety rationale for banning the use of e-bikes on the Hudson River Greenway. Ultimately, the ban on e-bikes on public greenways is misguided and unnecessary. It is also a poor public policy for a post-car society.
