If your kids are anything like mine, the Christmas wish list requests have been in overdrive recently.
My 14-year-old teenager has been particularly keen on the idea of a cruiser e-bike, because "lots of friends at school have them".
Spoiler alert, she won't be getting one.
But it can be a difficult area for parents to navigate, especially when there's so much pressure on children to fit in with friendship groups.
And for busy parents, the idea of their child being able to have some independence to get where they need too is understandably appealing.
But there are some important things to weigh up if you're considering buying an electric bike or scooter for your child or teen.
Are kids allowed to have e-bikes?
Technically it is not illegal for children to have an e-bike or e-motorcycle in Australia, because most of them are sold under the proviso that they're only used on private property under adult supervision.
It is this loophole that is allowing powerful electric bikes to end up in the hands of young children, according to Matthew Burke, an adjunct professor of transport and urban planning at Griffith University and CEO of Bicycle Queensland.
"These are legal vehicles, but there's not a lot of space you can drive on a suburban block," he says.
"So, they are being ridden on the street, on roads and on our bike paths."
Many states and territories have no minimum age limit for riding a power-assisted pedal cycle or electrically power-assisted cycles, while others require riders to be at least 16.
You can find a state breakdown of the rules at the bottom of this page.
In Australia, pedal-assisted e-bike motors must not generate more than 250 watts of continuous power or exceed 25 kilometres per hour while being ridden on roads or in public, unless you live in New South Wales where they must not exceed 500 watts.
Mr Burke says a lot of e-bikes are sold on the premise that they meet these speed requirements, but many have much more powerful motors, with speed limiter controls that can easily be unlocked by savvy children.
"If you don't have [the code or switch], it takes about 90 seconds of a YouTube tutorial to do it," he says.
Experts say there are some e-bikes and electric motorcycles available that can reach speeds of more than 60km/h.
Mr Burke says he would not recommend buying an electric bicycle for a child under the age of 16.
He suggests seeking out a reputable seller who specialises in pedal-assisted e-bike models that meet the legal specifications.
"There's a number of those that are partner bike shops of Bicycle Queensland, you can find them on our website," he says.
"They will be able to tell you in very clear terms what is legal and what is illegal.
"There are a range of legal e-bikes that are fantastic … particularly the e-mountain bikes, which allow you to get into the trails.
"We're not here to be the fun police, we're here to encourage good, safe, fun."
What age can a child ride an electric scooter?
Most states and territories require riders to be at least 16 years old to ride a personal mobility device on their own, or at least 12 years old with an adult supervising them.
Personal mobility devices can include:
- e-scooters
- e-skateboards
- self-balancing single-wheeled devices (such as e-unicycles and e-boards)
They must have a max speed of 12km/h on footpaths or 25km/h elsewhere.
Mr Burke says he recommends people purchase e-scooters that have "a larger front wheel" for safety reasons.
"They go over objects in the built environment [better], so if you're on a standing scooter, you're particularly prone to the face plant crash," he says.
"There are rules on the lengths and the widths of such a vehicle.
"But if it looks like it's a motorbike disguised as a scooter, it's probably something you'd be avoiding."
Susan Teerds, from child safety advocacy group Kidsafe, says children younger than 16 generally do not have the cognitive ability to assess risk when using personal mobility devices or e-bikes.
"Generally speaking, younger children do not understand that vehicle, or that truck, is going too fast to stop in time and [they could] slip in front of them very quickly," she says.
"Children should not be in this situation."
What are the risks to my child riding e-bikes and e-scooters?
There have been serious injuries reported and even deaths from children riding e-bikes and e-scooters in Australia.
A report by the Queensland Family and Child Commission says there are significant challenges to accurately access national fatality rates, but data shows there were five children killed on e-scooters and e-bikes in Queensland last year.
It says analysis of the incidents identified:
- Most incidents occurred on a weekday during the school term
- All incidents occurred between 8:00am–8:30am and 3:00pm–7:30pm
- In most cases, the child was the rider of the device, was riding on the road or attempting to cross a roadway and involved a collision with a vehicle
Can I be fined for my child riding an e-bike or e-scooter?
Some police jurisdictions are beginning to crack down children riding e-bikes in public spaces, with parents in Queensland, for example, being fined $258 for allowing teenagers to ride non-compliant e-bikes or electric motorcyles in public spaces.
Other states enforce fines of up to $1,018 for people caught riding an overpowered or non-compliant e-bike.
Queensland solicitor Henry Garrett says, generally speaking, the same road rules apply to e-bikes as other bike users.
"If someone is found to have been caught not using a helmet or using the road unlawfully without a licence, then they're being fined or given a notice to appear [in court] by police," he says.
Penalties in other jurisdictions can include fines for holding a mobile phone while riding, negligent or dangerous riding and fines of more than $1,900 for exceeding speed limits.
E-bikes and scooters at increased risk of fire and theft
Experts warn that low-quality e-bikes and e-scooters are a fire risk to consumers, particularly those who rely on charging them at home.
Professor Yuan Chen from The University of Sydney School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering says cheap, poorly made batteries and devices hold a higher risk of igniting.
"The companies are basically trying to make the most effective product," he said.
"Particularly depending on the price point they're manufactured for … the cheaper products are definitely problematic."
When a lithium-ion battery is left to overcharge, such as overnight, it can overheat. Although the batteries have a casing designed to protect the battery from air and heat, it is not foolproof.
"But if the casing is broken, and if air and moisture goes in, they will react with those components [in the battery] and cause a fire," Mr Chen says.
The popularity of the electric bikes and scooters, some valued at thousands of dollars, also makes them a target for thieves due to their increased value and expensive electric batteries.
New South Wales police urge e-bike and scooter owners to take the following precautions:
- Engrave or mark the frame with a UV pen, micro-dot or other permanent means
- Record the serial number, brand and model and take a photo
- Use a quality bike lock
Bike registration website Bikelinc operates in Western Australia, Tasmania and the ACT, and helps police identify and return stolen goods if they are recovered.
Here's a state breakdown of the rules around e-bike age limits.
ACT
There is no minimum legal age for riding an ebike in the ACT, but:
- Children should use =200 W models only.
- Under 16 years: ride in safe areas and preferably under adult supervision.
- All riders (any age) must wear a helmet and obey standard road rules.
Source: Transport Canberra
New South Wales
There are currently no age restrictions on riding personal e-bikes.
There are two types of permitted e-bikes:
- Power-assisted pedal cycles
- Electrically power-assisted cycles.
To hire a ride share e-bike, ride share e-bike operators require users to comply with their terms and conditions. This may include an age limit for use set by operators.
Source: NSW government
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory government allows the use of e-bikes on roads and shared paths, provided they are either:
- Power-assisted cycles
- Pedalecs
Bicycle safety rules state you must ride with an approved helmet if you are:
- under 17 years old
- riding on the road
Source: NT government
Queensland
There is no minimum age limit required to ride an e-bike in Queensland.
You don’t need a licence, registration, or insurance to ride a legal e-bike.
To be legal to ride in public places, an e-bike must:
- have a motor with a maximum continuous power output of 250 watts
- be pedal powered with motor assistance up to 25 km/h
- have a motor that stops providing assistance after 25 km/h
- have a motor than can work without pedalling, but only up to 6 km/h.
Source: Queensland government
South Australia
There is no specific age limit for riding a standard e-bike in South Australia.
Riders do not require a driver’s licence, motor vehicle registration or compulsory third-party insurance; however, riders are bound by the same rules as bicycles.
In South Australia, there are two types of power assisted bicycles that can be legally used on roads:
- A bicycle with up to 200 Watts of power that is controlled by a throttle or an accelerator
- A bicycle with up to 250 watts of continuous power that is controlled using pedals and meets the definition of a pedelec.
Source: SA Police Road Safety Centre
Tasmania
There is no specific age limit for riding a standard e-bike in Tasmania.
Two types of e-bikes are permitted.
Power-assisted pedal cycles: Limited to 200 watts, and they are primarily propelled through pedalling with an auxiliary motor.
Electrically power-assisted bicycles: Limited to 250 watts where power assistance is progressively reduced as travel speed increases above 6km/h and the power assistance cuts off when the speed of the e-bike exceeds 25km/h, or 6km/h where the cyclist is not pedalling.
E-bikes that do not meet these requirements would be regulated as motorbikes and can still be used on-road if the rider is licensed and the e-bike is registered, or they can be used on private property without licensing or registration.
Source: Tasmanian government spokesperson
Victoria
People of any age can ride an e-bike without a licence in Victoria. The road rules for e-bikes are the same as for bicycle riders.
There are two general types of e-bikes that you can ride in public areas in Victoria.
- Electrically power-assisted cycles (EPACs)
- Throttle power-assisted bicycles (PACs)
Source: Victoria Police
Western Australia
The major rules that apply to e-bikes in Western Australia are:
- Riders must be 16 years or older to use an e-bike with its motor engaged
- The motor can have a maximum power output up to 250 watts
- The bike needs human power to make it move — it is not meant to be ridden using the motor alone (like a motorcycle)
- The road rules applying to regular bicycle riders also apply to e-bike riders
Not all electric bicycles sold in WA are legal to ride on WA roads and paths.
Always check before you buy.
E-bikes that don't meet the requirements for power-assisted pedal cycles cannot be legally used on WA roads or paths.
Source: WA government
[call-out link]
