GARDEN CITY, Mich. (WXYZ) — Lawmakers, police and doctors are pushing for new safety rules as e-bike injuries rise, especially among children.
E-bikes are everywhere in metro Detroit, and local bike shops say demand has grown exponentially in recent years. But as more riders take to roads and sidewalks, emergency rooms are seeing a surge in serious injuries — prompting cities, police and state lawmakers to push for stronger safety regulations.
Watch Whitney Burney's video report below:
Gabriel Phillips said he got his e-bike as a gift for his 18th birthday in March.
"Now that it’s been a couple months, I’ve been using it for work, (getting to) A to B mainly and in my free time when I’m off of work, I hang out with my girlfriend," Phillips said.
"I think it's just crazy how much you can do with it. It goes super fast and if you're not prepared for it, it can definitely take you off guard," said Jayla Reeves as she stood next to her boyfriend Phillips.
Reeves said the bikes have become especially popular among younger riders.
"E-bikes are super huge with school kids and high school. I see them a lot. I even see them with people on my track team. They're super huge right now," Reeves said.
Jon Hughes, owner of the Original Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop, said e-bike sales have kept pace with traditional bicycle sales in recent years.
"The e-bikes, it's been pretty crazy. When it comes to sales, we probably sell the same amount of e-bikes as we do regular bikes," Hughes said.
Hughes has been riding an e-bike himself for almost 15 years. He said many people misunderstand what e-bikes actually are.
"I think a lot of people think e-bikes are like motorcycles, and they're not. They're still bicycles. It's kind of like you always have a tail wind. You always have somebody pushing you along," Hughes said.
Hughes explained there are three different classes of e-bike, each based on speed and motor power. The fastest, a Class 3, tops out at 28 mph.
"A lot of people are not used to riding a bike at 20-plus miles an hour and that's fast on a bike," Hughes said.
As e-bikes fly off shelves, concern over injuries is growing — especially for young riders.
"We had started to receive a growing number of complaints from citizens and businesses about the amount of e-bikes they were seeing and the dangerousness and how they’re were being ridden on the streets and sidewalks," Dearborn Heights Police Chief Mike Guzowski said. "What we found in our research is that ER visits were up and doctors were saying that these e-scooters and e-bikes were causing a tremendous rise in emergency room visits from children."
Guzowski said that finding is why his department began advocating for regulations around e-bikes.
In Dearborn Heights, e-bikes and e-scooters are now banned from all city-owned property, including sidewalks and parks. Guzowski said his department is focused on educating parents about the potential hazards of e-bikes to prevent serious accidents in the area.
"They accelerate faster and they move faster. That's why they're dangerous to have on sidewalks or city parks because the likelihood of a pedestrian accident is greatly increased," Guzowski said.
Dr. Brian O'Neil, chair of emergency medicine at Wayne State University and Detroit Medical Center, said the severity of e-bike injuries is often underestimated.
"I don't think anybody realizes how devastating these injuries are until they can see them," O'Neil said. "You have to treat this almost like a motorcycle and be smart about it."
O'Neil said in the last week, alone he treated multiple patients seriously injured after being thrown over their e-bike handlebars or struck by vehicles.
"What we're seeing is the head injuries, all upper extremities, multiple fractures. I mean, serious fractures, not mild fractures. I just took care of a lady who dislocated her elbow and fractured it coming off one of those bikes. Those are not minor injuries. She's headed to the operating room," O'Neil said.
Police, cycling safety advocates and O'Neil recommend the following for people interested in riding an e-bike:
- Riders should travel at slower speeds
- Stay hyper-alert to surrounding traffic
- Use the appropriate bike or traffic lanes
- Always wear a helmet
O'Neil said parents with children under 12 should reconsider allowing them on an e-bike at all.
"What I recommend to the parents: get on the bike before they get on, realize how fast it goes, spend some time with your child and say listen, there’s nothing you need to rush for," O'Neil said. "Sixteen (years old) is pretty young, let’s face it. Certainly anybody under 12, I would really question the need for that. I think they should be up riding a (traditional) bike and getting some exercise and not utilizing an e-bike to move around."
In Lansing, state Rep. Phil Skaggs is leading the push to sign e-bike safeguards into law through House Bill 6166.
"Frankly, the technology has advanced and the laws to make sure that kids, pedestrians and other vehicles are safe has not really advanced," Skaggs said.
The legislation would require only one rider on an e-bike or scooter at a time, limit travel speeds and mandate helmet use. It would also require riders under 17 to pass a written test before getting on an e-bike.
"As I drive and walk around town, I just see kids putting themselves in a pretty dangerous situation," Skaggs said.
Skaggs said support for HB 6166 has been strong and says it is a bipartisan issue.
"I think everyone understands that this is something that we need to see some movement on. That's reasonable regulation about kids and traffic. It's really important," Skaggs said.
Skaggs said he is hopeful the bill will be signed into law by the end of the year. He's currently in the process of getting the bill before the transportation committee for a hearing.
—————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
