Exclusive: Australia should introduce a standard minimum age requirement of 18 for E-bikes, according to an exclusive nine.com.au reader poll.
Several states and territories, including New South Wales, currently have no age restrictions, while some have set minimum age requirements at 16.
A nine.com.au reader poll, of 486 users*, shows that most Australians are in favour of adopting a standard minimum age of 18, with three quarters of respondents saying yes.
READ MORE: Bodies pulled from sunken superyacht as missing victims identified
Just 12 per cent of respondents said no, with a further 13 per cent undecided on the issue.
Aussies bought more than 193,000 E-bikes in 2023 alone, according to Bicycle Industries Australia, with specific brands like Fatboy Bikes amassing a cult following among young people.
Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at mleach@nine.com.au
Typically these E-bikes, also known as pedelecs or EPACs, are required to have motors with a maximum power output of 250 watts, which only assists while the rider is pedalling, and automatically cuts off at speeds of 25 kmph to be used in public spaces.
NSW is the only state that allows 500w bikes to be used in public spaces, however they cannot be legally imported. These measures were modelled off European laws and introduced in 2012 to protect riders and pedestrians.
However, a grey area around state-by-state definitions of an E-bike could allow riders to effectively skirt around the rules.
E-bikes with more than 250w power are readily available for purchase in Australia and there’s nothing stopping anyone from buying one – they’re just not allowed to be ridden on public roads.
Manufacturers must ensure disclaimers that their high-powered e-bikes are to be ridden on private property or for recreational use only.
“They are 100 per cent legal on your farm,” Peter Bourke, General Manager at Bicycle Industries Australia, tells 9news.
“The moment you put that on the road, you are now riding an unregistered, un-roadworthy motorbike without a license.”
But that doesn’t stop riders – including children and teens – from taking to Aussie roads illegally on high-powered bikes.
Modified E-bikes and high-powered models imported from abroad are also available on online marketplaces, where some sellers boast of E-bikes for sale with power outputs of up to 1500 watts and with top speeds of 40 kmph without pedalling.
Some ads sighted by 9news.com.au even promise that the top speed “beep sound” and other safety measures can be removed or disabled.
READ MORE: Cause of mystery ‘boom’ that shook Perth revealed
Bourke says his organisation is less focused on age restrictions and more invested in rider safety across all age groups.
“Our concern is, how do we get people onto road legal E-bikes?” he added.
Research from St Vincent’s Hospital showed more than 500 E-bike riders have landed in emergency rooms requiring critical care as a result of road accidents over the last two years alone.
Almost 70 per cent of the presentations were under the influence of alcohol, most were young men and were not wearing a helmet.
*The nine.com.au poll, which runs once a fortnight, canvases the views of the nine audience on 9Nation, which is an online community of our readers and viewers.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, celebrity and sport via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.
links to content on ABC
9News
