- A new Utah law on e-bikes, e-scooters and e-motorcycles takes effect May 6.
- Riders under age 21 will be required to wear helmets that meet federal or state safety standards.
- There is a difference between e-bikes and e-motorcycles.
As more people, especially young people, hop on e-bikes as a means of recreation and transportation, a new Utah law aims to make riding safer.
Many of the changes affect riders under 21.
“We find that youth are often out there without a helmet, that they’re exceeding safe speeds in neighborhoods and residential areas,” Jason Mettmann with the Utah Department of Public Safety’s Highway Safety Office told KSL.com. “We see higher risk of head trauma, increased risk of fatalities, and unpredictability when it comes to interacting with other drivers that are out on the roadway.”
Utah tracks bicycle crashes, injuries and fatalities but does not distinguish between bicycles and e-bikes, though that is changing this year.
There were 2,988 bicycle-related crashes, 2,358 injuries and 45 fatalities in the state from 2020 to 2024, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety. Nearly a quarter involved riders under age 24. Crashes spike between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. More than a third of the crashes resulted from failure to yield the right-of-way, followed by disregarding traffic signs/signals and improper turns.
Earlier this year, state lawmakers passed HB381 in an attempt to improve e-bike, e-scooter and electric motorcycle safety. It takes effect May 6.
What’s in Utah’s new e-bike law?
- E-bike and e-scooter riders under 21 must wear a helmet that complies with U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission standards
- E-motorcycle riders under 21 must wear a helmet approved by the Utah Department of Transportation
- Machines that travel over 20 mph without pedaling are considered e-motorcycles and might require a driver license, insurance and motorcycle endorsement.
- Those under 16 may not ride e-motorcycles or high-powered machines on public roads.
- It’s illegal to ride an electric machine while impaired.
- Children 8 to 15 must operate e-devices under the supervision of a parent or adult or complete an online electric vehicle safety education and training course and obtain a personal electric vehicle safety certificate to ride without adult supervision.
The difference between an e-bike and an electric motorcycle
E-bike
- Has a power output of no more than 750 watts
- Has fully operable pedals
- Has permanently affixed cranks that were installed at the time of manufacture
E-motorcycle
- Powered by electric motor of more than 750 watts
- Capable of exceeding 20 mph using the electric motor alone
Watch your head
A 2024 study published in JAMA Surgery found an increase in e-bike crashes sent thousands of Americans to the hospital with injuries, particularly to the head and especially when they weren’t wearing helmets. The incidence of head trauma from e-bicycle accidents in 2022 was approximately 49 times higher than in 2017, according to the study. At the same time, helmet use went down 5.6%.
Utah officials hope requiring helmets that meet safety standards will reduce head injuries among e-bike riders.
“With those higher safety ratings, those have been tested with higher speeds to prevent more trauma, especially for our youth,” said Capt. Chase Pili with the Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement, per KSL. “That’s the biggest difference with our helmets.”