New laws in New York aim to encourage e-bike battery safety
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New laws were signed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday aimed to help encourage the safe use of e-bikes and products containing lithium-ion batteries.
The new safety standards come as e-bikes have surged in popularity since the pandemic, but have also led to many deadly incidents.
"No one should fear that the e-bike charging down the hall could go off like a bomb at any moment," said Hochul. "And no firefighter should ever risk their lives because some cheap manufacturer cutting the corners had to make an extra buck. These new laws will hold reckless battery makers accountable, build awareness on how to handle e-bikes - and also protect our first responders. And the bottom line is, we're going to start saving lives."
The legislation allows for violators to be fined, e-bike buyers to receive operating manuals and warnings on how to safely charge batteries and registration logs of who buys a moped.
"They're (mopeds) already required to be registered in New York State," added Assemblymen Alex Bores. "They almost never are. Less than 5,000 are registered in the City of New York.
New York City has led the country in ramping up efforts to enforce e-bike battery safety, including several programs and campaigns since the start of the year. In just New York City alone, lithium-ion batteries have sparked 268 fires that have injured 150 people and claimed 18 lives.
Any e-bike accident with an injury will now be investigated by law enforcement. The data will be tracked by the Department of Motor Vehicles to see if any additional regulations are warranted.
Congress is also looking at creating a national safety standard.
