New Canaan PD Reports Uptick In Complaints About Juveniles On E-Bikes

NEW CANAAN, CT — Police have recently seen an uptick in complaints regarding juveniles speeding and being reckless on electric bikes, and in some cases nearly colliding with vehicles, in New Canaan.

In a Facebook post, police said motorized bicycles are assumed to be just like bicycles, however they are very different.

"Young, inexperienced operators of motorized bicycles often find themselves at higher speeds in complex traffic among distracted drivers," police said on Facebook. "Life-threatening injuries have been reported across the country."

Police also provided the following State of Connecticut regulations regarding e-bikes:

Electric bikes may not have a motor with more than 750 watts, and they must be equipped with brakes that cease motor function when the brake is applied.

The state classifies electric bikes in three categories:

• Class 1 are pedal-assist-only, and the motor stops when you reach 20 mph.
• Class 2 provide electric power whether or not the rider is pedaling, and stops providing power when the speed reaches 20 mph.
• Class 3 continue providing electrical power up to 28 mph.

The risk of severe injury to a pedestrian is 25 percent when struck by a vehicle moving at 16 mph, and the risk rises to 50 percent when the vehicle is traveling at 23 mph, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

More information is available here.