RELEASE: Gottheimer Announces New E-Bike Safety Plan to Protect Children from Rise in E-Bike Accidents

Above: Gottheimer joins local officials and first responders to protect children against e-bike accidents.

HACKENSACK, NJ - Today, September 5, 2025, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced new federal action to protect children from the alarming rise in e-bike accidents, joined by local officials and first responders at Hackensack High School.

Just last month, a 14-year-old boy tragically died in an e-bike accident after being hit by a car in Somers Point, NJ. Several tragic accidents in North Jersey have led to hospitalizations. A study also found that the age group most commonly affected by e-bike injuries, more than 44%, was between the ages of ten and thirteen years old. Across the country, e-bike injuries surged 293% from 2019 to 2022.

Gottheimer unveiled his E-Bike Safety Plan, which includes new legislation to increase federal investments for states to create e-bike safety plans and increase public awareness around safe riding practices.

Video of the press conference can be found here.

"E-bikes are everywhere, it's a fast-growing trend. While fun and efficient, without the right safety precautions, e-bikes can be dangerous. It's heartbreaking, and it's becoming increasingly common. These aren't just statistics. They are children, friends, and family members. We must ensure families get the best possible education and resources they need to stay informed and protect themselves when using e-bikes," said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), a member of the Children's Safety Caucus. "When it comes to preventing our children from serious crashes, we need to pull out all the stops and put real safeguards in place. By further raising awareness, I'm hoping that we can prevent the next e-bike crash before it happens. The stakes are too high to let partisan politics stop us from protecting our kids."

Gottheimer's New E-Bike Safety Plan:

• First, Gottheimer is introducing the Safety and Funding for E-Bikes Ride Act, or S.A.F.E Ride Act, to increase federal investment for states to have, or create, an "Electric Bike Safety Plan."
  • These programs include ways to promote helmet use and safe riding practices, provide crash data, and support local law enforcement, who can develop safety outreach and are on the ground to keep children safe.
  • This will give states the resources they need to meet their own specific bike safety challenges, while helping reduce crashes and accidents.
• Second, Gottheimer is writing a letter to the major e-bike rental companies, like Citi Bike and Lyft, calling on them to better enforce their own safety policies.
  • Citi Bike recently announced new age verification measures, but has yet to provide any specific details.
• Third, Gottheimer is urging the U.S. Department of Transportation to put forward recommendations and guidelines on e-bike safety for states to implement in schools and through public awareness campaigns.
• Fourth, Gottheimer is also urging the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Department of Education to work together to create a comprehensive public information campaign in New Jersey.
• Finally, Gottheimer is also working with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to ensure that funding for e-bike safety plans is included in the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill.

Rise of E-Bike Use and Accidents:

• In 2024, more than 1.7 million e-bikes were sold in the U.S. - almost a 75% increase from 2023.
• Citi Bike has 82 stations in Hoboken and Jersey City, and more than 2,000 stations across New York City.
• Across the country, e-bike injuries surged 293% from 2019 to 2022. A U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) study found that between 2017 and 2022, hospitals reported more than 53,000 e-bike-related injuries.
• A 2023 study shows that the age group most commonly affected by e-bike injuries was between the ages of ten and thirteen years old.
  • The study also found that compared to riders on pedal bicycles or mopeds, children on e-bikes used helmets less and had a higher rate of hospitalization.
  • The study concluded that attention to e-bike safety and increasing helmet usage are important to public health among the pediatric population.
• This past July, a 14-year-old was tragically killed in Somers Point when they were riding an e-bike and collided with a car. The same month, a fifteen-year-old riding an e-bike in Montvale had to be taken to Hackensack University Hospital after their e-bike slammed into a car.
• In August, a 13-year-old on an e-bike in Westfield needed to be treated for a serious head injury after crashing.

Gottheimer was joined at Hackensack High School by Hackensack Councilman Phillip Carroll, Hackensack Superintendent Andrea Oates-Parchment, Hackensack Board of Education Trustee Kenneth Martin, Hackensack Board of Education Trustee Demetrius Carroll, Hackensack Fire Chief Anthony Reihl, Hackensack Deputy Fire Chief Chris Annunziata, and Hackensack High School Principal James Montesano.

Below: Gottheimer joins local officials and first responders to protect children against e-bike accidents.

Gottheimer's full remarks as prepared for delivery are below:

Good morning. It's great to be with you at Hackensack High School, home of the Comets, and nearly two thousand burning bright students leading our way to the future.

It's already an exciting year for the high school - after defeating Passaic High School last week, the Hackensack varsity football team is playing here tonight against John F. Kennedy High School, and the girls varsity tennis team is at home against Northern Highlands! Our great state is home to some of the best schools in the nation, with educators who work tirelessly to set our children up for success. I'm so grateful to all of them, including our Superintendent. But, besides teaching our kids, our other big job is to keep them safe, whether that's on their way to school or when they are hanging out with friends on the weekends.

We've all seen kids zipping around town on their electric bikes - or e-bikes. I used to actually pedal my bike around the neighborhood as a kid, and I still do, but I guess that's very twentieth century of me. E-bikes are everywhere, it's a fast-growing trend. In 2024 alone, 1.7 million e-bikes were sold in the U.S. - a nearly 75% increase from the year before. And, people can rent them, too. Citi Bike has 82 stations in Hoboken and Jersey City, and more than 2,000 stations across New York City.

E-bikes work like traditional bicycles, but with a battery-powered electric motor that helps you pedal, so you can go further and faster, much more easily and efficiently. While fun and efficient, without the right safety precautions, e-bikes can be dangerous. And that's why we're here today to announce my new E-Bike Safety Plan - new action to ensure that we do everything we can to keep our children safe.

To be clear: if used properly, e-bikes, besides being a lot of fun, can be a safe, and effective method of getting around.

For adults, they can also cost far less than buying a car or paying for gas or costly repairs - and they have zero emissions, so that's a good thing for our environment. But, just like driving a car, we need to ensure people - especially younger riders, are taking precautions to prevent injuries.

The statistics are alarming: This past July, a fourteen-year-old was tragically killed in Somers Point when they were riding an e-bike and collided with a car. The same month, a fifteen-year-old riding an e-bike in Montvale had to be taken to Hackensack University Hospital after their e-bike slammed into a car.

In August, a thirteen-year-old on an e-bike in Westfield needed to be treated for a serious head injury after crashing. It's heartbreaking, and it's becoming increasingly common. Across the country, e-bike injuries surged 293 percent from 2019 to 2022. A U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) study found that between 2017 and 2022, hospitals reported more than 53,000 e-bike-related injuries. In New York City, there have already been more than 400 e-bike crashes this year - twenty percent more than this time last year. On top of that, a NIH study shows that the age group most commonly affected by e-bike injuries was between the ages of ten and thirteen years old.

The NIH study also found that compared to riders on pedal bicycles or mopeds, children on e-bikes used helmets less and had a higher rate of hospitalization.

These aren't just statistics. They are children, friends, and family members. So, the question is what to do about it. With my "E-Bike Safety Plan," we'll help address the alarming number of e-bike accidents happening here in Jersey, in the tri-state area, and around the country.

First, here in Jersey, it starts with enforcing the rules already on the books. For instance, if you're under seventeen, you must wear a helmet to operate an e-bike. And, under state law, parents can be fined if their children don't. Riders must obey all traffic lights, signs, and signals, stay off sidewalks, and ride in the same direction as traffic. There are some other local rules, depending on where you live. If you're renting an e-bike, many of the major companies, like Citi Bike and Lyft in Hoboken and Jersey City, require you to be at least sixteen. But, I'm concerned that it's far too easy for children to skirt their rules, and I'm writing them a letter ensuring they find better ways to enforce their own rules.

Citi Bike recently claimed that they're instituting age verification, but, they haven't put out any specifics with how they're going to enforce their rules. Self-declared birthday verification, which is the current system, obviously doesn't always work. Many children just use their parents' information and rent bikes while under the appropriate age. We also see many children riding bikes with more than one kid on the bike, which is dangerous and against many bike rental company rules.

Second, while we've taken some steps in New Jersey, and our laws are actually softer than next-door in New York, I'm introducing new legislation in Congress - the Safety and Funding for E-Bikes Ride Act, or S.A.F.E Ride Act - to increase federal investment for states to have, or create, an "Electric Bike Safety Plan." We can't ignore these statistics. We must ensure families get the best possible education and resources they need to stay informed and protect themselves when using e-bikes.

These programs include ways to promote helmet use and safe riding practices, provide crash data, and support our local law enforcement, who can develop safety outreach and are on the ground to keep children safe. This will give states the resources they need to meet their own specific bike safety challenges, while helping reduce crashes and accidents. I'm also requiring e-bike companies to have a working age verification system, if they have age limits in place.

Third, I'm writing a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation, urging them to put forward recommendations and guidelines on e-bike safety for states to implement in schools and through public awareness. When it comes to preventing our children from serious crashes, we need to pull out all the stops and put real safeguards in place.

I'm also sending a letter to the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Department of Education, calling on them to work together to create a comprehensive public information campaign right here in Jersey. We must get the word out about e-bike safety to families. By further raising awareness, I'm hoping that we can prevent the next e-bike crash before it happens.

Finally, I'm working with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to ensure that funding for e-bike safety plans is included in the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill. This is the major infrastructure bill that Congress typically passes every five years. The stakes are too high to let partisan politics stop us from protecting our kids. This won't be easy, but I never back down from a fight.

As a member of the Children's Safety Caucus, I've been working around-the-clock to help keep our streets, homes, and families safe. I've supported legislation to help prevent the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes from exploding or catching fire. And, I'm proud to partner with the Hackensack Fire Department in this effort, as they push to help ensure batteries are stored properly to avoid fire hazards.

We also have to invest in our infrastructure to make our roads safer for our children and families on bikes. This is something I focused on when I helped write, negotiate, and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which includes federal investments to make our streets and sidewalks safer for pedestrians. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also includes investments to help build safe bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, grants to support bike-share systems near transit stops, and resources to reduce crashes and fatalities.

The bottom line: we must work together to keep our communities safe. Everyone - from our elementary school children to our older residents - should feel safe when going to see friends or loved ones, no matter what time of day. And there is nothing partisan about this.

I know that if we look out for our families and neighbors, support our law enforcement and first responders, and ensure our children can get to school, sports practice, see friends, and get back home safely, here in the greatest country in the world, our best days will always be ahead of us. Thank you. God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

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