Virginia Beach Police Department pushes e-bike safety initiatives

Surge in Youth E-Bike Popularity Sparks Safety Push

An electric bike, or e-bike, sat at the top of Donal Morrison’s wish list for years until his parents bought him one for his 11th birthday. “I like the freedom,” he said. His mother, Nadine Morrison, noted that she and her husband debated the purchase for a long time before establishing strict rules: riding only in their cul-de-sac with an outside parent, wearing a helmet and pads, and completing a safety class. “It’s a hard decision,” she said. “You think about teaching them the right things to do and making the right decisions around it.” The family attended an e-bike safety session led by the Virginia Beach Police Department at W.T. Cooke Elementary School on September 26, 2026.

Jack Gordon, was not to complain about e-bikes, but to share information about vehicle types, rules, and regulations. “We want to educate the folks to make sure that you can enjoy those technology pieces, but do it in a safe manner,” Gordon said during the meeting. “What we’re just trying to do is just trying to work in collaboration with you guys on safety and the rules of the road to kind of keep you guys safe.”

Climbing Accident Rates and National Medical Data

As e-bike popularity grows among children and teens, public safety teams across the country face a parallel increase in crash-related injuries. A study analyzing hospital data in San Diego found that e-bike accidents involving children rose by more than 300% from 2019 to 2023, driving up serious orthopedic injuries. A 2024 JAMA Network Open study similarly confirmed that e-bike and e-scooter riders face a higher likelihood of sustaining serious injuries compared to those using traditional bicycles and scooters.

Sales nationwide have skyrocketed from approximately 250,000 in 2019 to an estimated 1.5 million in 2024. While e-bikes initially gained traction with older adults and later during the COVID-19 pandemic, young riders have recently embraced them, frequently influenced by social media content and online stunts. Public safety teams in Virginia Beach responded to numerous incidents over the summer, concentrating heavily on the Oceanfront, the General Booth Corridor, and the Red Mill area, which included a recent case where a young rider was hospitalized with severe injuries. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health reported lacking information about different e-bike types.

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Virginia and Virginia Beach E-Bike Classifications

To bridge the information gap, Virginia Beach police officers detailed state law classifications during the Cooke Elementary session. Under Virginia law, an e-bike features a motor up to 750 watts and bears a specific classification sticker:

• Class 1: A pedal-assist bike with a maximum speed of 20 mph. Riders under 14 must wear a helmet.
• Class 2: A throttle-assist bike with a maximum speed of 20 mph, capable of accelerating instantly without pedaling. Riders under 14 must wear a helmet.
• Class 3: A pedal-assist bike reaching up to 28 mph, equipped with a speedometer. Only individuals 14 or older may operate a Class 3 bike, and all riders must wear a helmet regardless of age.

MPO Tony Espinosa advised families to carefully inspect online purchases, noting that not everything marketed as an e-bike meets legal definitions. E-bikes are legally classified as vehicles, meaning operators must obey all standard traffic laws. An 11-year-old who ignores a stop sign can receive a moving traffic violation that will appear on a future driver’s license.

Municipal Ordinances and Resort Area Rules

Local regulations dictate specific operating zones across Virginia Beach. Previously banned on Atlantic Avenue during the resort season from May 1 to September 30, e-bikes are now legally permitted to operate along the roadway year-round, just like traditional bicycles, because local governments lack the authority under state code to prohibit them on roads.

However, strict restrictions remain in place for pedestrian zones. E-bikes are prohibited on the Boardwalk, the Boardwalk Bike Path, and Oceanfront parks and plazas. Outside the Resort Area and Town Center, they are permitted on sidewalks and multi-use paths. Additional safety rules mandate that riders must use hand signals, yield to pedestrians, ride with traffic, avoid wearing earphones in both ears, use lights at night, maintain safe speeds, and limit riding to a maximum of two abreast.

Essential Safety Precautions and Task Force Measures

During the community outreach event, MPO Espinosa emphasized the physical risks of riding without protection, noting that helmets are vital because “when it comes to concrete versus your melon, the concrete always wins.” Additional safety recommendations include using hand signals, allowing greater stopping distances due to the increased weight and speed of e-bikes, halting rides to check mobile phones, and conducting pre-ride mechanical checks. Espinosa also issued a warning regarding lithium-ion batteries, urging owners to monitor them during charging to prevent overheating and potential fires.

To combat rising incidents, the city established an E-bike Safety Task Force uniting the Police Department, Parks & Recreation, and other municipal departments. Current task force initiatives include updating street and trail signage to clarify where e-bikes are permitted, reviewing local ordinances for legal clarity, and executing a public awareness campaign focused on laws and safe riding practices. Families seeking further guidance can review resources provided through municipal channels at VirginiaBeach.gov.