As warm weather hits Ohio, conversations are heating up about the surging use of electric bikes, electric motorcycles and other emerging vehicle types appearing in communities across the state.
To help ensure Ohio children, teens, and adults stay injury-free and aware of current laws and best-practice safety strategies, state Reps. Andrea White, R-Kettering, and Kevin Miller, R-Newark, have introduced House Bill 948 in the Ohio House of Representatives.
White said she initially worked with Oakwood Council Members Leigh Turben and Sam Dorf to help craft this bill through a balanced approach that will help get the word out through a statewide public awareness campaign, while tasking the Ohio Department of Public Safety to quickly study the types of vehicles now being used and any gaps or inconsistencies in our current laws that need to be addressed to best support our communities.
Along with the statewide public awareness and education campaign, HB 948 also ensures all driver’s education training includes instruction on sharing the roadway with pedestrians and operators of a bicycle and e-bicycle, including signals, right-of-way rules and passing protocols, and all driver examinations including testing knowledge of these laws and requires all retail sellers of electric bicycles to give the purchaser an electronic or printed copy of an educational leaflet or pamphlet created by the Department of Transportation.
Last August, heading into Labor Day, Dayton Children’s Hospital reported an 80% increase in the number of children receiving medical attention due to e-bike and e-scooter accidents, many involving collisions with cars and high speeds. By the end of 2025, e-bike and e-scooter injuries had doubled, with 135 youth treated by the hospital, as compared to 67 in 2025.
This year’s statistics are rising even more sharply, with 109 e-bike and e-scooter injuries already reported in youth served by Dayton Children’s as of May 28.
At the national level, in November 2025, ScienceDirect reported on a study estimating that 15,121 pediatric patients in America experienced e-bike injuries, with a sharp increase over a five-year period, with 4.18% occurring in 2019 and 49.8% in 2023. Injuries related to speed showed a higher incidence of head, neck, facial and internal organ injuries.
The study highlighted the risks associated with e-bike speeds above 20 mph and the need for targeted safety measures and legislation, particularly to prevent head injuries.
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