Ebikes and Escooters

It seems like everywhere you go in New Jersey-whether it’s Mercer County, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Somerset, Union or Essex Counties-ebikes and escooters are zipping by you when you are driving on public roads, when your crossing the street or walking on the sidewalk, ebikes are a sign of our times. They provide cheap transportation, don’t require gas and can cut down on transportation time by avoiding highway traffic. But ebikes also put the operator at risk for significant and even catastrophic injuries even when they obey the law. They also put innocent drivers of motor vehicles and pedestrians at risk for life-changing injuries when the operators fail to obey traffic safety laws. Even when ebike drivers operate safely, they suffer severe injuries because they are unprotected. They can casues injuries such as:

• Concussions and trumatic brain injuries,
• Fractured bones; arms, legs, wrists and ankles,
• Significant and disfiguring scarring,
• Herniated spinal discs and fractured vertebrae,
• Shattered jaws and facial bones,
• Wrongful death, or
• Past present and future pain and suffering caused by injuries.

New Jersey now requires a person to obtain a license from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Services to operate an ebike or escooter. The ebike or escooter must also be registered with NJMVC. Additionally, the ebike or scooter must have liability insurance to protect you, as well as other drivers or pedestrians. In addition, an approved helmet must be worn at all times while riding on an ebike or electric scooter. Operators must also follow specific road, path and area rules. Ebike and esscooter operators must comply with these laws by july 19, 2026.

The law now defines the different types of ebikes and escooters and the legal requirements for using them.

1. Low Speed Electric Bikes: These are bikes that have an electric motor to assist once the driver reaches 20 miles per hour. This type of bike must be fully operable with working pedals. These bikes must now be registered with the NJMVC.
2. Motorized Bikes: These bikes have motors that cannot exceed 28 miles per hour. Their motor power may be be up to 1,125 watts. The operators of these bikes must be licensed and the bike must be registered.
3. Electric Motorized Bike. These vehicles can be pedaled and their motor power can exceed 28 miles per hour. They have motors over 750 watts. These bikes must be registered and insured and their operators must be licensed.

These laws were passed because there have been many fatal crashes involving ebikes and escooters. The largest group of people that have been injured have been between 10 and 13 years old. There has been a 75% increase in ebike sales in 2024 alone and a 293% surge in ebike accidents between 2019 and 2022.

The New Law Does Not Provide Medical Benefits Under the Policy

Your kids will be pestering you to get them an ebike or escooter. They’ll say, “My friends have them.” If they are under 15 years-old, the answer is a hard ‘no”. As a parent do not succumb to your child’s peer pressure. Children between 15 and 17 years-old can ride them, but the ebike must be registered with the NJMVC.

If your child is going to drive or be a passenger on an ebike or escooter, they must wear an approved helmet. Scrapes and bruises are one matter, but life altering traumatic brain injuries must be avoided.

In addition, parents can be independently liable to injured third parties if they let an underage driver operate a ebike.

If you purchase an ebike or escooter save the paperwork documenting the name, model number and product identification number. Avoid buying the ebike “from some guy’ where you pay cash and know nothing about the bike.

Protecting your child and yourself from liability with an adequate insurance policy is vital. This requires careful consideration because under certain circumstances, the parent can be liable for the negligent operation of the ebike if an innocent third party is injured. Parents may be liable for “negligent entrustment” of the ebike to the child. Therefore, make sure you have enough liability insurance on the ebike to protect your child and yourself from serious injuries suffered by third parties. Determining adequate liability coverage is a personal decision with financial consequences as it becomes an additional household expense. The ebikes and escooter will not be covered under your homeowners, renters or automobile insurance policies. They will be sold as separate policies. Assume that an ebike should be insured just like you would insure your car. Purchase enough liability insurance to protect your assets from being at risk to pay an injured third party. Purchase enough uninsured motorist bodily injury insurance so that if you are injured due to a negligently operated ebike, you are protected if the at-fault driver is uninsured or insured for an amount less than you have.

If you are injured in an ebike or escooter accident, call the police to document the names of the parties to the accident, each party’s explanation of how the accident occurred, and the classification of the ebike involved. If you are able, take pictures of each vehicle and the accident scene, including traffic signals like traffic lights or stop signs. If you experience pain at the scene, accept medical help if offered or go to the nearest emergency department or urgent care center. Report the accident to your insurance company.

As soon as possible, speak with a Middlesex, Mercer, Somerset, Monmouth, Union or Essex County ebike and escooter lawyer who is Certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as Civil Trial Lawyer so that they can take a proper history from you and secure any available evidence, such as surveillance videos from nearby businesses or witness statements, while the accident is still fresh in their mind.