HONOLULU — As electric bikes grow in popularity across Hawai‘i, so do concerns over safety and road rules.
Community members report that children on e-bikes are zipping around on sidewalks, roadways and through neighborhoods, sometimes popping wheelies along the way, and often without wearing helmets.
At the same time, accidents involving e-bikes are on the rise, according to the Honolulu Emergency Services Department.
“E-bike popularity has been surging, and we’ve seen a corresponding increase in calls we have for bike accidents,” said Dr. Jim Ireland, city Emergency Services Department director. “My feeling is the younger riders tend to be less experienced. We’re seeing a lot of kids and teenagers.”
The injuries result from collisions with moving cars, parked cars and pedestrians on sidewalks, he said. EMS fields at least one e-bike-related call per week.
Ireland said he has several major concerns regarding e-bikes, which seem have become more popular among tweens and teens, in particular.
“First, they’re very fast,” he said. “I don’t know what their top speed is, but they’re much faster than a bicycle. They behave like a moped or motorcycle, the way they can accelerate and zip through traffic.”
Parents should evaluate whether their kids have sufficient knowledge and training to operate e-bikes, he said.
Second, he said, they are quiet, which makes it difficult for pedestrians to hear them when the e-bikes are on a sidewalk or in a bike lane.
“Third issue is a significant portion of bike riders, both children and adults, don’t wear adequate protective equipment, and that starts with a helmet,” he said. “In my opinion, everyone on a bike should wear a helmet.”
Head injuries can have devastating long-term consequences, Ireland said, and EMS has seen cases of damaging head trauma from traffic-related collisions.
Under Hawai‘i law, all kids under age 16 must wear a helmet while riding a bicycle. Additionally, a person must be at least 15 years old to ride a “low-speed electric bicycle” registered to an adult household member.
In late April, Ewa Makai Intermediate School announced it would ban e-bikes on school grounds due to safety issues.
“We prioritize the safety of all students and staff,” wrote Ewa Makai Principal Kim Sanders in a letter to parents and guardians. “E-bikes can reach higher speeds than traditional bicycles, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries in the community.”
Most middle school students are under 15, prohibiting them from riding e-bikes, yet are visibly doing so.
The ban was implemented in the wake of an April 11 collision in which a 12-year-old boy riding an e-bike was critically injured when he was struck by a car.
The driver of the car, a 40-year-old woman, broadsided the boy, who was in a marked crosswalk with a “Do Not Walk” signal at the Kapolei Parkway and Keoneula Boulevard intersection, according to police.
The boy was not wearing a helmet and suffered critical head and body injuries.
Sanders reminded parents of the existing regulations, and said it would inform HPD of the new school rules, with possible citations for violations. Ewa Elementary sent out a letter reminding parents of the rules.
Sanders did not respond to Honolulu Star-Advertiser requests for comment.
Ilima Intermediate School in Ewa Beach also sent a letter to families, saying recent incidents involving e-bikes in the community prompted it to revisit safety guidelines concerning their use among students.
Ilima listed the same set of e-bike regulations, including age restrictions, and said HPD had informed it that enforcement of them would begin April 22. Riding e-bikes on campus is forbidden since all students must walk their bikes on campus.
“We understand the concerns raised by members of our school community regarding the presence of e-bikes in our vicinity,” Principal Shayne Greenland wrote in a letter. “However, rather than implementing a blanket ban on e-bikes, we believe that education and communication are key to addressing these concerns effectively.”
Travis Counsell, director of the Hawai‘i Bicycling League, says schools are within their rights to implement bans, but he does not believe banning is the best approach to curtailing irresponsible behavior.
“Kids are very interested in (e-bikes) right now,” he said. “Banning them at school isn’t going to stop kids from wanting to ride them. … It’s less about the device and more about how they’re using it.”
HBL says education is a better approach, including instruction on how to responsibly ride a bike, whether it’s a pedal bike or e-bike.
Counsell said the Hawai‘i Bicycling League is working with the state Department of Transportation to produce public service announcements later this year on safely operating an e-bike.
HBL also offers an “Intro to E-Bikes” workshop teaching people how to operate one safely as well as how to charge one safely, and to understand the fire hazards.
People on e-bikes need to be aware of the extra power and faster speeds of an e-bike, which also means it will take longer to stop, he said. Due to the increasing popularity, HBL plans to offer more workshops on e-bikes.
Hawai‘i, however, needs to update its laws to reflect the latest e-bike technology, Counsell said.
Most U.S. states have categorized e-bikes into three different classes for local bike laws.
Generally, the Class 1 e-bike provides a pedal- assist when the rider pedals, but no longer does so when the rider reaches a speed of 20 mph. The Class 2 e-bike is equipped with a throttle that provides a boost without pedaling, but stops at 20 mph. The Class 3 e-bike has a speedometer and assists up to 28 mph.
In California, all e-bikes are required to have a label describing its type and motor wattage. Riders of Class 3 e-bikes must be at least 16 years old and wear a helmet.
Counsell said HBL is working with the city and state to update definitions on e-bikes and laws.
“We’re seeing a lot of new technology and new types of devices that I don’t think our current definitions and laws are specific enough to keep up with,” he said, “which leads to gray zones, lack of enforcement and lack of awareness of those rules and best practices.”
Three bicycle fatalities on Oahu have been recorded so far this year, according to preliminary DOT statistics. None involved e-bikes, which DOT began tracking a few years ago.
2023, however, was a record year for bicycle-related fatalities, at nine, which did include e-bikes. In 2022 there were seven bicycle-related fatalities, including e-bikes.
Counsell said most fatalities involving bicyclists still result from a vehicle striking a bicyclist, and that inattentive driving remains a huge concern.
“The responsibility you have when you’re driving a multithousand-pound vehicle shouldn’t be understated,” he said. “(Drivers) might be very comfortable driving it, but need to realize how quickly it can become a fatal device if they’re not conscious or aware of other users.”
