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Death of Seattle teen raises questions about e-bike regulation

An e-bike is seen at a retail store in Glenview, Ill., Wednesday, July 20, 2022.

A 14-year-old died Tuesday evening after crashing his electric bike in Seattle, reigniting debate over the safety of e-bikes.

The Seattle Fire Department and Seattle Police responded to a call around 6 p.m. in the Eastlake neighborhood.

A 14-year old boy had lost control while riding his electric motorized bike down some stairs under I-5 at The Colonnade, an urban mountain bike park. The teen was wearing a bike helmet, but his injuries were severe and he died on scene, according to officials. Police did not identify the boy or the brand and manufacturer of the bike, though posts on TikTok have circulated honoring his passing.

Dr. Beth Ebel, a pediatrician at Harborview Medical Center, said the hospital has seen a rise in e-bike accidents. Riders often have injuries to their extremities, and in cases where they aren't wearing a helmet, more severe head injuries — and in some cases, a bike helmet is not enough when someone is riding at greater speeds, she said.

Bike advocates say that it’s vital to reclassify certain electric bikes as e-motorcycles precisely because they’re closer in power to motorcycles. In some cases riders can travel at speeds in excess of 28 miles per hour.

"From a policy perspective, if we're going to make things safer, we need to be clear on what we're talking about so we can regulate the right things the right way," said Lee Lambert, the executive director of Cascade Bicycle Club. Lee is part of a work group established by Senate Bill 6110 , which went into effect last month.

The work group, which includes the Washington Department of Licensing and the Department of Transportation among other agencies, is tasked with delivering recommendations including possibly requiring riders to register the bikes, or licensing them as vehicles instead of bicycles.

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