Pierce County deputies report a surge in e-bike and e-scooter injuries, arrests, and deadly crashes

Pierce County deputies, speaking to reporter Kyra Simmons Burke Griffin, say they are seeing a sharp rise in serious injuries, deaths, and traffic violations involving electric bikes and scooters. Deputies show an incident where "this man was arrested after leading police on a chase with his electric bike" and warn that riders are often failing to follow basic roadway laws. Deputy Carly Capeto says the county is experiencing a "huge increase in electric scooter and bike related injuries, deaths and traffic violations" and calls the pattern "an epidemic of injuries that we are seeing."

Capeto attributes much of the problem to younger teens and children: per her account, they often lack licenses, "haven't gone through driver's ed," and do not know rules of the road, so they are "blowing through four-way stops and intersections," which is where injuries and deaths occur. She cites recent examples: "a week ago, a man in King County was hit by a Metro bus while on an electric scooter" and a separate incident in Bothell where a "teenager [was] hit and killed while riding an electric bike." Medical personnel quoted by deputies urge riders to 'wear helmets and be extra aware of their surroundings.'

Deputies also restate the legal requirements for faster electric bikes: if an electric bike goes "more than 20 miles per hour," you must be "16 years old" to operate it, you "must wear a helmet," and a "license is mandatory." They emphasize that 'The roadway laws still apply to an e-bike' and that any vehicle expecting normal road traffic may not anticipate a rider behaving like a pedestrian. The report concludes with deputies urging compliance with licensing, helmet use, and road rules to reduce the rising toll of crashes, hospitalizations, and fatalities.