NSW Premier Chris Minns has announced plans to significantly reduce the power and speed of electric bikes in a bid to reduce accidents, following a fatal collision between an e-bike rider and a garbage truck in central Sydney.
The state government is considering new regulations that would limit the maximum power of ebikes on public roads from 500 watts to just 250 watts. The proposed change would also significantly slow down top speeds, reducing them from around 50-60km/h to 25-30km/h.
Minns cited concerns over riders' safety after witnessing children riding powerful e-bikes that were often compared to motorbikes during his time in the workforce. He emphasized the need for people to understand the risks associated with riding modified or powerful ebikes without proper safety gear, including helmets and lights.
NSW police have issued a warning to parents considering buying ebikes for their kids as Christmas presents this year, urging them to stick with legal bikes rather than opting for more powerful models. Assistant Commissioner of Traffic and Highway Patrol David Driver stressed the importance of riders understanding the dangers of modified or powerful ebikes.
"We need riders to understand the risks of riding on one wheel without a helmet or in the dark without lights," he said. "Police don't want someone to make a mistake that costs them their life or causes serious injury."
The move comes after a man in his 30s died in the fatal collision with the garbage truck, while an investigation is ongoing.
The state government is considering new regulations that would limit the maximum power of ebikes on public roads from 500 watts to just 250 watts. The proposed change would also significantly slow down top speeds, reducing them from around 50-60km/h to 25-30km/h.
Minns cited concerns over riders' safety after witnessing children riding powerful e-bikes that were often compared to motorbikes during his time in the workforce. He emphasized the need for people to understand the risks associated with riding modified or powerful ebikes without proper safety gear, including helmets and lights.
NSW police have issued a warning to parents considering buying ebikes for their kids as Christmas presents this year, urging them to stick with legal bikes rather than opting for more powerful models. Assistant Commissioner of Traffic and Highway Patrol David Driver stressed the importance of riders understanding the dangers of modified or powerful ebikes.
"We need riders to understand the risks of riding on one wheel without a helmet or in the dark without lights," he said. "Police don't want someone to make a mistake that costs them their life or causes serious injury."
The move comes after a man in his 30s died in the fatal collision with the garbage truck, while an investigation is ongoing.
. Those ebikes can get pretty fast and it's scary to see kids riding them like they're motorbikes. Safety first, you know? 
I mean, it's always better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to accidents on the road. 250 watts is still plenty of power for most people, but maybe not enough to get those kids too excited 
. And yeah, helmets and lights are a must - you can never be too careful on two wheels 
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i'm literally binge-watching it every spare moment and i just found out there's a spin-off series too! anyway back to these e-bikes... 500 watts seems like way too much power for me, idk how those garbage trucks are supposed to handle it 
... people need to be more careful when riding ebikes, especially with those powerful ones that can give you a thrill but also increase the risk of accidents 
. I remember my cousin used to ride one of those high-powered e-bikes and he wasn't even wearing a helmet... it was terrifying! 
. And parents need to take responsibility for getting their kids proper ebikes with safety features like helmets and lights 
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... let's just be safe and responsible 
. I hope they do something about this soon 
. like, yeah safety first and all but 250 watts? that's basically a scooter, not an e-bike 
. back in my day we didn't need all these fancy speed limits 
. and what about the kids who wanna ride those powerful ebikes? don't they deserve some freedom on wheels 
?! plus, wouldn't it be better to just make sure everyone wears proper safety gear like helmets and lights instead of restricting the power? 
... who knew e-bikes were already too exciting for Aussie kids? Now they'll just be like glorified scooters 
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. I mean, come on, 250 watts? That's, like, soooo slow. What's the point of even having an e-bike if you can't go fast? It's not like it's gonna make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things... oh wait, it might just save one life 
my cousin just got an ebike for christmas last year and he loves riding it, especially with his friends on the weekends. this new rule is just gonna ruin the fun for them...