(IntegrityTimes.com) – Electric bicycles have risen in popularity in recent years, especially among Democrats. However, injuries and deaths have prompted officials to sound the alarm over the dangers of e-bikes. The New York Fire Department (FDNY) recently shared its e-bike data with Fox News, which showed a 200 percent increase in deaths, totaling 18, from e-bike battery explosions in 2023. Fires caused by e-bikes increased by 21 percent, with 267 fires recorded. Injuries were up two percent, with 150 people injured by e-bike fires.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams introduced the Charge Safe, Ride Safe plan in March 2023 in hopes of reducing injuries and deaths from e-bikes. He said that refurbished batteries were likely the reason for most e-bike fires. He blamed bicycle shops for “going inside attempting to refurbish the batteries and do it their own way.” Just months after the new plan was adopted, Adams announced a $25 million award from the federal government to install 173 charging stations around the city. FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh and other city leaders spent the rest of the year educating the public about the dangers and called for new city policies to address safety concerns.
As a result, the NYC government passed new laws in 2023 to regulate batteries sold in the city and to investigate reports of potential hazards from unapproved batteries. New York Attorney General Letitia James also outlined the risks of using e-bikes in a June 2023 consumer alert. Kavanaugh applauded the city government in December for “their out-of-the-box thinking” that allowed the city to welcome the use of the e-bikes while also passing protective measures. However, e-bike battery incidents have continued to occur in the city, with one recent explosion burning down a bike store in Queens. Another battery explosion killed one person and injured several others in a Bronx public housing complex.
A report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) showed that battery injuries from e-bikes have increased by an average of 23 percent each year since 2017. The commission said that it would release new regulations by 2025.
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