Name: E-bikes are booming and so are the risks for younger riders
Uploaded: 2025-10-17T00:15:24.012Z
Duration: 3 min 2 s
Description: E-bikes, now a nearly $2 billion market, are exploding in popularity, but higher sales come with growing risks -- for pedestrians and increasingly, for younger riders.

E-bikes, now a nearly $2 billion market, are exploding in popularity, but higher sales come with growing risks -- for pedestrians and increasingly, for younger riders.

Montville

E-bikes have become increasingly popular, particularly among younger riders, with the market now valued at nearly $2 billion. However, this surge in popularity has been accompanied by a significant rise in injuries and fatalities, especially among children aged 10 to 17, whose emergency room visits related to e-bikes have more than tripled since 2019. 

Concerns have been raised about the high speeds some e-bikes can reach, with certain models capable of exceeding 50 miles per hour. Regulatory responses vary across the United States, and new legislation has been introduced to address helmet use and support police enforcement against unsafe, underage riding. Parents and community leaders are urging caution, emphasizing the need for clear rules and greater awareness of the risks associated with e-bike use among teenagers.

E-bikes are booming and so are the risks for younger riders

In Iron America, we look at issues facing the nation. Tonight, e-bikes. Hard to believe, but electric bikes have been around since the late 1800s. Now they're more popular than ever. But all too often, a ride on an e-bike ends in the ER. We caution you here. Some of the images in Elaine Quijano's report are graphic. Stunning surveillance video shows a 15-year-old going an estimated 40 miles per hour on an e-bike and slamming into a car in Montvale, New Jersey. I see that kid flip over the car, like, I hope he's alive. The boy survived. But for Montvale Mayor Mike Gasali, maybe the most troubling part? The crash wasn't a complete surprise. We get calls almost every day where these kids are on their bikes doing stunts. And that's how they get in trouble. E-bikes, now a nearly $2 billion market, are exploding in popularity. What have you seen here in your community with respect to e-bikes? This is the first year now that we see an issue with the e-bikes. All of a sudden the parents are buying these really high-speed bikes. But with increased sales come increased risks. For pedestrians like this woman in Minnesota, who was struck by a 14-year-old while on a sidewalk. And more and more for younger riders, like this 15-year-old in Massachusetts who survived. And a 13-year-old in New Jersey who did not. In fact, e-bike ER visits among children 10 to 17 have more than tripled since 2019. So an e-bike has a battery. Typically they're in the frame right here. E-bikes make up nearly 40% of sales at Craig Cornell's Diamond Cycle in Montclair, New Jersey. How fast can some of these e-bikes go? Some e-bikes can go 50 miles an hour or more. He won't sell any e-bikes that go faster than 20 miles per hour. They're really not e-bikes. They're really e-motorcycles. Nationwide, a patchwork of regulations governs e-bike safety. But New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer says they're not enough. I'm very worried about kids being safe. He introduced legislation that addresses helmet use for e-bike riders under 18 and offers grant money to police departments that crack down on unsafe, underage riding. My son has an e-bike. What was your thought process in getting him an e-bike? I was opposed. And then a lot of his friends are riding them. And my process was, OK, let's talk about what rules you're going to have to follow. The parents think that they're doing a favor, they're making their kid happy. It's a death trap. A new way for teenagers to get around, with increasingly disastrous results. For Eye on America, I'm Elaine Quijano in Montvale, New Jersey.

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