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An increase in the number of serious accidents involving e-bikes and standup scooters in New York City is prompting calls to better regulate the personal mobility devices in the city.
That regulation should extend statewide.
So far this year, 12 people have been killed while riding e-bikes in New York City with another nine killed while using stand-up e-scooters. Only three have been killed while riding regular pedal bicycles. which compares to three who died while riding old-fashioned pedal bikes. Last year those figures were 17 dead on e-bikes, six from e-scooters and four on regular bikes. Regular crashes, according to New York Police Department statistics, have increased 28% from 2025 to 2026.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and state Attorney General Letitia James have taken legal action against 42 companies selling e-bikes and e-scooters that exceed the city's 15-mph speed limit for the devices, while the New York City Council is reviewing 17 different bills dealing with e-bikes and e-scooters, with a public hearing scheduled for late September.
Some of this deliberation may not be necessary if the state Legislature had done much of anything regarding e-bikes and e-scooters over the past six years. During the 2026 session, eight different bills were introduced. That includes requiring e-bicycle purchasers to undergo a training course, training videos for police departments on e-bikes and e-scooters, requiring the sale of e-bikes or e-scooters to include a helmet, requirements to register e-bikes and e-scooters and to require license plates, prohibiting the sale of e-bikes and e-scooters to anyone under the age of 16 and increasing the penalties for leaving the scene of an accident involving an e-scooter without reporting it.
Only one bill (A.9209/S.8948) passed both the Assembly and Senate this year, with Gov. Kathy Hochul to decide if lights will be required for e-bikes and e-scooters.
More needs to be done.
We have all seen the issues that come with the proliferation of e-bikes and e-scooters. Riders often ride recklessly. They ride on sidewalks or ride against traffic. Many riders don't ride as if they are part of the regular flow of traffic, not stopping at red lights or stop signs. Too many don't have lights, which makes it difficult to see them at night even on well-lit city streets.
We haven't had serious issues here yet, but the number of e-bike fatalities has resulted in an estimated 87,400 emergency room visits across the country from 2017 through 2023, including 113 deaths involving accidents with cars. Deaths were near zero in 2017 and have been rising as use of e-bikes and e-scooters increases.
The state Legislature has six months in its upcoming 2027 legislative session. An e-bike and e-scooter safety package needs to be on the agenda.