To the editor:

This morning, just after leaving my house for my morning jog, a BHS student zoomed around me on his way to school. I was on the sidewalk, and he was on an e-bike, on the sidewalk, without a helmet. He gave no courtesy warning that he was going to pass by me at a high speed. This near-miss made my heart race. Last year, a Boston pedestrian died after being hit by an e-bike.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about the proliferation of micromobility devices (e-bikes, e-scooters, e-motos, etc.) ever since my husband's brother died from a traumatic brain injury associated with an e-bike fall in 2022. In 2024, I drafted and passed Rhode Island's first law to address e-bikes, but much more is needed to ensure safety of pedestrians and micromobility riders. Here in Rhode Island, emergency room visits related to e-bikes and scooters increased by more than 170% between 2020 and 2025.

I am working on legislation for 2027. In the meantime, here are some important points:

• You have to be at least 16 years old to legally ride an e-bike.

• Helmets are required of all e-bike riders up to age 21. Consider a helmet designed for ATV or motorcycle use.

• A vehicle that can go faster than 28 mph is not an e-bike—even if it has pedals and looks like an e-bike. A license is required to operate an electric motorcycle.

• The only motorized vehicles currently permitted on the East Bay Bike Path are class 1 (pedal assist) e-bikes. 

• There are e-scooters on the market that can go up to 70 mph. Until our laws catch up to the devices out there, parents should exercise appropriate caution on what micromobility devices they purchase for children and teens.

BikeNewport offers e-bike safety classes. Safety is the shared responsibility of motor vehicle drivers, pedestrians, and riders alike. Humans make mistakes. Please drive and ride responsibly, and teach your kids the same.

Rep. Jennifer Boylan

Barrington