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E-bike rider hit by car in Chandler
Scary moments caught on camera show an e-bike rider hit by a car in Chandler. The crash highlights growing safety concerns across Arizona as e-bikes become more popular, faster, and more powerful.
CHANDLER, Ariz. - New Chandler police videos showing e-bike riders being hit by vehicles are raising concerns about the safety, rules and enforcement surrounding the increasingly popular bikes as police crack down on illegal riding.
What we know:
One police video shows an e-bike rider entering an intersection Aug. 5 without stopping before being hit by a car. Two weeks later, another e-bike rider was hit by a vehicle. Both riders were hospitalized.
From May through July, Chandler police said they responded to 168 calls involving e-bikes, issued 16 citations and gave 16 warnings.
Valleywise Health is seeing the impact as well, reporting an uptick in e-bike injuries and expecting to see twice as many cases this year.
"When you combine speed, a heavier vehicle, and an unprotected rider, the physics of that can turn a bicycle accident into a major trauma," said Dr. Frank LoVecchio of Valleywise Health.
Dig deeper:
Arizona has three classes of e-bikes. Class 1 and Class 2 bikes can reach speeds of up to 20 mph, with Class 2 bikes using a throttle. Class 3 bikes can reach up to 28 mph with pedal assist.
"Some people aren’t sure exactly which e-bike theirs is classified as, and that’s a real issue," Olivia Lemorrocco, VP of Operations at Phillips Law Group said. "We’ve seen a lot of cases where people purchase these, and actually they’re going faster than 28 mph, which would classify them as a motorcycle."
Arizona does not currently require statewide training for e-bike riders, even as some bikes become faster and more powerful.
"I do think it takes time for the state laws to catch up to what’s happening," Lemorrocco said. "These e-bikes are coming into our state very fast, into our cities very fast."
Chandler adopted new e-bike rules this year, including a minimum age of 16 for Class 3 riders, a ban on Class 3 bikes on sidewalks and shared paths, and helmet requirements for riders under 18.
Police said many of the collisions they have seen between e-bikes and motorists involve riders traveling on sidewalks or against the flow of traffic.
"And we are really just trying to do what we can to mitigate that by educating as many people as we can," one Chandler officer said.
What's next:
In both recent crashes, Chandler police said the e-bike rider was cited rather than the driver, as the department works to enforce the city's rules and educate riders about legal and safe use.