Member

I shall come back to the question of illegal e-bikes in a second, but the users of legal e-bikes are as much of a problem, because they were not included in any relevant legislation that would have allowed them to be prosecuted by the police for offences such as dangerous or reckless cycling, as would normally happen for bicycle users. E-bikes are a huge and growing problem. In 2022, there were 462 pedestrian casualties in the UK resulting from collisions with pedal cycles, including e-bikes. Recent data indicates that there were 11,266 incidents involving e-bikes and e-scooters in 2023-24, an increase from 10,000 incidents in the previous year. While this rise partly reflects the growing number of riders, it also highlights concerns regarding the reckless behaviour of a number of those users. E-bike riders are approximately 57% more likely to be involved in accidents, compared with traditional cyclists, and e-bike accidents are nearly twice as likely to cause severe injuries, and nearly twice as likely to require surgical intervention compared with conventional bicycle accidents. That is not to mention the illegal e-bikes and the enhanced e-bikes, which the Minister will know are the cause of even more significant problems.