Three‑year‑old Biel was walking along a suburban Sydney footpath with his mother when an electric bike came hurtling towards him. His mother, Clara Ferrer‑Paxtot, had stopped to put something in the pram. Biel tried to get back to her as the bike approached. The teenage rider tried to dodge, but struck the little boy, dragging him about a metre along the footpath.
Biel was left with a broken leg. The teenage rider was in tears, repeatedly apologising.
How did we reach the point where families walking along suburban footpaths have to dodge machines with the speed and weight of small motorbikes?
E‑bikes have plenty of benefits. But as e‑bikes and e‑scooters have proliferated on our roads, they’ve also left plenty of people worried about safety.
At Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital, emergency trauma presentations involving e‑bike crashes have soared. There were 45 in 2023, rising to 103 in 2024 and more than 200 in 2025.
About half of those presenting in 2025 required hospital admission. One in 10 needed intensive care.
Across Australia, at least 7 fatal e‑bike accidents involving young Australians occurred between February 2025 and March 2026.
E‑bikes can cause other problems, too. Fire and Rescue NSW recorded 193 fires caused by e‑micromobility devices between 2022 and 2025.
Lithium‑ion batteries can catch fire when damaged, defective or improperly charged. When they do, the flames can spread with frightening speed. A faulty battery charging overnight can put an entire household at risk.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission estimates that e‑bike injuries and fatalities impose an economic cost of at least $28 million each year.
More e‑bike accidents don’t necessarily mean every journey has become more dangerous. The number of riders has grown enormously. But even so, there’s too many Aussies being hurt by e‑bikes.
One problem is the gap between the rules governing what e‑bikes we can ride and what retailers can sell. In NSW, motor assistance on a road‑legal e‑bike must cut out at 25km/h. Yet more powerful machines can still be legally sold for use on private property. Some can travel at more than 50km/h.
A consumer can legally buy an e‑bike that can’t be legally ridden on roads or bike paths.
That’s why the government has provided $4.3 million for the ACCC to develop national safety standards for e‑micromobility devices, starting with e‑bikes. NSW has already taken important steps to improve electrical safety requirements for e‑bikes and their batteries.
Young Biel should have been able to walk along a suburban footpath without ending up in hospital. As Australia considers stronger e‑bike safety standards, his awful story is a reminder of what’s at stake.
The e‑bike revolution has plenty going for it. But we must get the safety settings right.
