New York Personal Injury Attorneys BlogCapping E-Bike Speeds Won’t Stop the Killing—Building Safer Streets Will
As New York City bicycle-accident attorneys, we question Mayor Eric Adams’s push to cap e-bike speeds at 15 mph. The proposal grabs headlines, but the data shows that speed-limited e-bikes aren’t what’s killing New Yorkers—multi-ton motor vehicles and policy inaction are.
What the Numbers Say
From January 2024 through May 2025 at least 16 fatal bike-related crashes occurred city-wide. Only one involved a cyclist striking a pedestrian. The rest were motorists striking cyclists or cyclists forced into harm’s way by car doors, trucks, or emergency vehicles.
| Date | Victim | Bike Type | Citi Bike | Cause Category | Specific Cause / Scenario | At Fault |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-22 | Cyclist | Private pedal | No | Driver Error | Truck left-turn hit-and-run | Motorist |
| 2024-02-23 | Cyclist | Private pedal | No | Driver Error | Speeding driver ran red light | Motorist |
| 2024-02-27 | Cyclist | Citi Bike e-assist | Yes | Dooring + Driver Error | Doored, then hit by passing car | Shared |
| 2024-04-04 | Cyclist | Private (pedal) | No | Driver Error | Truck “right-hooked” across protected lane | Motorist |
| 2024-06-07 | Cyclist | Citi Bike pedal | Yes | Driver Error | Box truck struck rider | Motorist |
| 2024-08-19 | Cyclist | Private e-bike | No | Driver Error | Box truck right turn into teens on e-bike | Motorist |
| 2024-09-01 | Cyclist | Private pedal | No | Driver Error | Drunk, unlicensed van driver | Motorist |
| 2024-10-22 | Cyclist | Private pedal | No | Police Chase | Fleeing pickup ran red light | Motorist |
| 2024-10-30 | Cyclist | Private (pedal) | No | Emergency Vehicle | FDNY pickup struck cyclist | Motorist |
| 2024-11-02 | Cyclist | Private (pedal) | No | Police Chase | Fleeing minivan ran red light | Motorist |
| 2025-02-25 | Cyclist | Private (pedal) | No | Driver Error | MTA bus turning through intersection | Motorist |
| 2025-03-19 | Cyclist | Private e-bike | No | Driver Error | Two cars in chain-reaction crash | Motorist |
| 2025-03-21 | Pedestrian | Delivery e-bike | No | Cyclist Error | E-biker blew stop sign, struck pedestrian | Cyclist |
| 2025-04-19 | Cyclist | Private (pedal) | No | Emergency Vehicle | FDNY fire engine ran red light | Motorist |
| 2025-05-01 | Cyclist | Private e-bike | No | Dooring + Driver Error | Doored, then run over by box truck | Shared |
Totals (Jan 2024 – May 2025)
- Driver Error / Motorist at fault: 13 deaths
- Dooring + Driver Error (shared fault): 2 deaths
- Emergency Vehicle collisions: 2 deaths
- Police-chase crashes: 2 deaths
- Cyclist error: 1 death (pedestrian struck)
Why a 15 mph Cap Misses the Mark
- Motor-vehicle violence—not e-bike speed—is the killer. Thirteen of sixteen deaths were caused by drivers of vans, trucks, buses, or cars.
- Dooring remains lethal. Two fatalities started with a parked driver flinging a door open. No speed cap fixes that.
- High-speed police chases and emergency-vehicle protocols need reform. Two cyclists died because drivers—fleeing or on emergency runs—blew through red lights.
- Delivery workers will bear the burden. A blanket e-bike cap criminalizes low-wage couriers while leaving truck violence untouched.
What Will Save Lives
- Build the protected bike-lane network Mayor Adams promised. Paint alone isn’t protection; New Yorkers need concrete-separated lanes in every borough.
- Daylight intersections and end curbside parking at corners so cyclists aren’t hidden from turning trucks.
- Hold dangerous drivers accountable—especially for hit-and-runs, DWI, and dooring violations.
- Equip city and commercial trucks with side guards and better visibility tech.
- Re-evaluate NYPD pursuit policies that turn city streets into racetracks.
Lowering e-bike speeds to 15 mph may feel like action, but it’s a distraction. Let’s focus on the proven fixes that keep every New Yorker, cyclist, pedestrian, and motorist, alive.
Need legal help after a bicycle crash? Our team at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf has recovered record-setting verdicts and settlements for injured cyclists and their families. Call 212-943-1090 for a free consultation.
