E-Bike Dangers in Hawai‘i

Illustration: Getty Images. Composite: James Nakamura

E-bikes have soared in popularity, helping riders zoom to destinations at higher speeds with less exertion. But as more motorized bikes, scooters and skateboards hit our city’s roads, accidents are happening at an alarming rate.

From Jan. 1 through early October 2024, Honolulu EMS responded to approximately 180 reports (via 911 calls) of injuries involving e-bikes, e-scooters or e-skateboards, according to Shayne Enright, spokesperson for the Honolulu Emergency Services Department. “We’ve seen a huge uptick in these types of calls in the last six months,” she says. “We’re getting one every couple of days. And as a department, we know we have a responsibility to offer precautionary and safety measures to try to keep people safe.”

What’s especially troubling is that many accidents involve younger teens and children, even though it’s illegal in Hawai‘i for anyone under the age of 15 to operate an e-bike. On Sept. 8, for instance, a 14-year-old boy in the Mokulē‘ia area was seriously injured while riding an e-bike without a helmet; he was pinned under the pickup truck that hit him. Just nine days earlier, a 12-year-old girl on an e-bike crashed into a moped rider on an ‘Ewa Beach sidewalk, leaving both riders seriously injured.

Because many younger riders aren’t old enough to drive, they often don’t know the rules of the road, making the situation even more dangerous.

“Just the other day, we went to a 13-year-old, who was on an e-bike built like a dirt bike. He was popping wheelies, fell back, hit his head on the curb, and was seriously injured with a head injury,” Enright says. “This is what we want to prevent from happening. Children don’t understand the gravity of their actions. That’s why we don’t allow them to drive until an older age. Yet, we’re giving them these motorized machines.”

Along with advocating for new e-bike legislation, a city task force has initiated an awareness campaign for both e-bike riders and parents who may not know about the state’s age and safety requirements, such as wearing a helmet, Honolulu EMS Paramedic Supervisor Sunny Johnson says.

“I urge parents to really look at what they’re purchasing for their kids and see how fast these e-bikes can go,” Johnson says.

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E-Bike Rules and Safety

• Hawai‘i law defines an e-bike as a “low-speed electric bicycle” whose assisted maximum speed is less than 20 mph. 
• Those 15 and older can operate an e-bike if it’s registered to an adult member of the household. 
• E-bikes are allowed on all roadways in Hawai‘i, including bike lanes. But e-bike riders must follow all traffic laws and obey traffic signals and signs. 
• Helmets are required for riders under 16 and are recommended for all riders. 
• Wear reflective clothing while operating an e-bike in low light. 
• Wear long pants instead of shorts while riding an e-bike.