Rise in e-bike crashes across Long Island spark safety concerns
Medical professionals say they are seeing a growing number of e-bike crashes across Nassau and Suffolk counties.
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A series of serious e-bike crashes across Long Island this week, including one fatality, is raising renewed concerns about rider safety and enforcement of state regulations.
Police said a man was killed Wednesday in Riverhead after crashing an e-bike into a fence. The same day in Huntington, another rider lost control of an e-bike, struck a curb and crashed through the window of a restaurant. Earlier in the week, officials said another rider was injured while speeding along a roadway in Baldwin.
“Safety on e-bikes is a definite issue that people have to deal with,” said Bob Wagner, of Huntington.
Medical professionals say they are seeing a growing number of e-bike crashes across Nassau and Suffolk counties.
“Northwell obviously covers a lot of Long Island, so what we see throughout Nassau and Suffolk County is an increase in these e-bike accidents,” said Dr. Jerry Rubano, of South Shore University Hospital.
Under New York law, riders must be at least 16 years old to operate an e-bike. Riders are required to wear a helmet, and most e-bikes are limited to a maximum speed of 20 mph. The New York Attorney General's Office says it is illegal to sell e-bikes that exceed that speed limit.
Rubano warned that many riders are traveling well above the legal limit, increasing the risk of severe injuries.
“People are going upwards of almost 30 mph, and at that speed it's the same thing as having a motorcycle accident or even, to a certain extent, a car accident where you're not wearing a seat belt,” he said.
According to the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, a driver's license is not required to operate an e-bike or scooter.
Pedestrian safety advocate Janine Logan said education is key to preventing future crashes.
“I think there's lots of good rules and regulations out there now that I think people really need to learn about,” Logan said.
For a list of local e-bike laws by town, visit: https://www.walksafeli.org/micromobility.
