CalBike Response to New York Times E-Bikes Article

Matt Richtel’s July 29, 2023, New York Times article on the “dangers” of e-bikes draws exactly the wrong conclusions from the tragic death of an Encinitas, CA, teen (who, the article admits, “did everything right”) killed by a driver in a van. This irresponsible piece suggests electric bicycles are responsible for increased collisions between e-bike riders and people driving cars. 

The truth is traffic violence is accelerating: 55% more bike riders were killed by cars in 2021 than in 2010. So we do have a crisis on our streets. But restricting e-bike use won’t solve it. 

The real culprit in cities like Encinitas and Carlsbad (where two bicyclists were killed by cars a few months after Carlsbad declared an e-bike emergency in 2022), which have failed to provide safe infrastructure for people on bikes.

Bicycles of all kinds are here to stay and are critical to combating climate change. Cities and states must move quickly to create roadways where people who get around using all modes of transportation can share the road safely.