Young people are increasingly being killed or injured on e-bikes. It’s time for governments to act
- Written by Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne
In the span of just a few days, two children were killed in separate e-bike crashes in Queensland – one on the Sunshine Coast[1] and another on the Gold Coast[2].
Not more than a week later, seven people were hospitalised in Queensland[3] in a series of separate e-bike and e-scooter crashes across the state.
There have been four e-bike deaths[4] involving children and teenagers in Australia since July. Three have been in Queensland.
What can be done to prevent injuries and deaths on e-bikes?
E-bikes in Australia
E-bikes are generally defined as pedal-assisted bicycles powered by small electric motors, limited to 250 watts and 25 kilometres per hour under Australian law. These bikes are either bought by consumers or rented and used on roads.
However, many of the bikes involved in recent crashes appear to exceed those limits. Some are modified and capable of far higher speeds.
Across Australia, there is no age limit[5] for riding e-bikes.
However, shared mobility operators[6] such as Lime and Beam require riders to be at least 16-18 years old, depending on the city and service.
Australia also has no formal mechanism for recording e-bike fatalities – itself a significant data gap. But the trend is hard to ignore: e-bike crashes involving young riders appear to be an escalating risk.
Evidence from e-scooter studies shows children aged under 18 are disproportionately involved in serious crashes[7], which is why most states have imposed age limits for e-scooter use.
The risks of riding e-bikes
For the general population, evidence shows e-bike riders face a higher fatal crash risk than pedal cyclists.
In the Netherlands for example, the rate of fatal crashes involving e-bike owners has far exceeded that of regular bicycles[8] in recent years.
A large study in the United States analysed injury records for children[9] involved in e-bike crashes – almost 4,000 cases – and compared them with nearly two million traditional bicycle injuries of children.
The findings were striking.
From 2011 to 2020, e-bike injuries among children increased, while regular bicycle injuries declined. And children injured on e-bikes were twice as likely to end up in hospital than those using regular bikes.
The most affected age group for e-bike injuries was 10–13.
Another study, from Israel, compared injuries among more than 500 children admitted to hospital after bicycle crashes – around one-third on e-bikes and the rest on traditional bicycles.
The results were consistent with the US study, but even more alarming[10]: children on e-bikes had more severe injuries overall and a greater likelihood of being involved in collisions with motor vehicles. They were also more likely to experience loss of consciousness and nearly half required orthopaedic surgery.
More recent evidence reinforces the same picture.
A 2025 study of more than 700 young riders aged 10–25 found e-bike riders were twice as likely to suffer traumatic brain injuries[11] as those on regular bicycles.
For risks specific to children and within the Australian context, the closest comparison that can be drawn comes from the adjacent mode: e-scooters.
My recent research[12] shows one in three fatal e-scooter crashes in Australia involved a rider under the age of 18, a significant over-representation relative to this group’s share of the population.
In near parallel to what we are now seeing with e-bikes, more than half of these child fatalities on e-scooters occurred in Queensland[13].
There are many reasons why more accidents are happening in Queensland. The state was an early adopter of e-micromobility[14], has Australia’s most permissive e-scooter rules for children (allowing riders as young as 12 with supervision[15]) and enjoys a warm climate and long riding season – all of which increase exposure.
A Queensland parliamentary inquiry into e-mobility safety[16] is expected to deliver a report in the first half of next year.
Why children are more at risk
E-bikes expose young riders to a mix of physical and behavioural risks.
The machines are heavier and faster than regular bikes, often capable of speeds around 40–60km/h.
Research on hazard perception helps explain part of this risk.
In experimental settings[17], e-bike riders aged 16–18 were found to identify significantly fewer developing hazards and to respond later than adults when viewing real-world traffic scenes.
Their hazard awareness mainly improved with age and riding experience.
In Australia, many of the e-bikes children ride are technically illegal or modified[18].
Conversion kits sold online can remove speed limiters[19], turning a standard bike into one capable of highway speeds[20].
Online tutorials[21] make these modifications accessible to teenagers, and enforcement is minimal.
Behavioural patterns add another layer.
News reports describe teenagers performing wheelies[22], racing through intersections[23] and riding on the wrong side of traffic. These behaviours are often amplified by social media and peer imitation[24].
What should be done?
There’s already enough international evidence[25] to guide our policy. We don’t need to wait for local tragedies to confirm what’s been shown elsewhere – that e-bikes pose distinct risks to children.
Many countries have already acted. Minimum age limits for e-bike use are common in some countries – typically 16 years[26] – recognising these vehicles require cognitive and physical maturity comparable to those of motorcycles[27].
In Australia, the definition of a legal e-bike is already clear: capped at 250 watts of power and 25 km/h under pedal-assist.
The issue is not classification but enforcement and scope.
Current laws do little to prevent riders from accessing and riding high-powered or modified e-bikes that fall outside these limits.
What’s missing are age-based restrictions, controls on the import and sale of illegal conversion kits and targeted awareness campaigns for parents[28] as well as retailers (by encouraging responsible point-of-sale behaviour[29]).
Public awareness campaigns are particularly important ahead of the Christmas season, when e-bikes and conversion kits are increasingly marketed[30] as gifts.
References
- ^ on the Sunshine Coast (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ on the Gold Coast (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ seven people were hospitalised in Queensland (www.couriermail.com.au)
- ^ e-bike deaths (www.smh.com.au)
- ^ there is no age limit (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ shared mobility operators (www.li.me)
- ^ disproportionately involved in serious crashes (pursuit.unimelb.edu.au)
- ^ far exceeded that of regular bicycles (theconversation.com)
- ^ analysed injury records for children (www.sciencedirect.com)
- ^ even more alarming (www.thieme-connect.com)
- ^ traumatic brain injuries (doi.org)
- ^ My recent research (www.sciencedirect.com)
- ^ occurred in Queensland (ars.els-cdn.com)
- ^ early adopter of e-micromobility (business.uq.edu.au)
- ^ riders as young as 12 with supervision (www.qld.gov.au)
- ^ e-mobility safety (www.parliament.qld.gov.au)
- ^ experimental settings (doi.org)
- ^ technically illegal or modified (www.youtube.com)
- ^ can remove speed limiters (youtu.be)
- ^ capable of highway speeds (youtube.com)
- ^ Online tutorials (youtube.com)
- ^ performing wheelies (www.news.com.au)
- ^ racing through intersections (thewest.com.au)
- ^ amplified by social media and peer imitation (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ international evidence (doi.org)
- ^ typically 16 years (www.sciencedirect.com)
- ^ comparable to those of motorcycles (doi.org)
- ^ campaigns for parents (www.tiktok.com)
- ^ responsible point-of-sale behaviour (coolybikes.com)
- ^ increasingly marketed (youtube.com)
Authors: Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne
