05/22/2026
Ride safe this summer. 🚲
Local Stakeholders Urge Riders To Stay Safe, Legal This Season
As the weather warms up, the Bend community sees a big increase in the number of road users, and it’s a good time to remember some safety tips and laws to ensure everyone stays safe on our streets.
The Bend Police Department, in collaboration with Bend Fire & Rescue, Bend-La Pine Schools, Bend Park & Recreation District, St. Charles Health System and the Old Mill District, wants to remind our community members about the importance of traveling safely this summer while using e-bikes.
Let’s start with the basics:
You cannot legally ride an e-bike if you are under the age of 16. (Note: Oregon HB 4007 makes age changes effective Jan. 1, 2027, but at this time the legal age to ride e-bikes remains 16)
You cannot ride an e-bike on the sidewalk.
You must obey all traffic laws while riding an e-bike, including riding on the correct side of the road and stopping at stop signs and red lights.
Many of the vehicles being marketed as e-bikes are actually electric motorcycles that can travel upwards of 40 MPH and are not legal on any roads or trails in city limits.
But this is about much more than whether someone is breaking the law by riding something that isn’t street legal. It’s about safety.
Over the past year, Bend Fire medics responded to 38 e-bike crashes. St. Charles treated 83 patients with injuries related to e-bikes in 2025, up from 63 in 2024. And that trend is continuing in 2026, as St. Charles reports the volume of patients with e-bike related injuries are about 50% higher than last year.
Both adults and children have been injured in these incidents.
"E-bikes are a great way to get around and enjoy Central Oregon, but we are seeing more patients come to the emergency department with serious injuries after crashes. These injuries continue to increase. These injuries can be as simple as a broken bone, but they are often much more severe, including internal injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries and even death,” said Dr. Jon Roberts, trauma doctor with St. Charles. “Basic safety is key. A helmet is one of the most important ways to reduce the risk of life-changing injury. Ride predictably, follow the rules of the road, stay alert to traffic around you, and never ride an e-bike while intoxicated."
We are asking adults to know the rules and follow them. That includes parents. We know e-bikes and electric motorcycles are fun, and we know they’re convenient. But allowing children to ride electric motorcycles that can travel at high speeds is simply dangerous. Need proof? A 14-year-old rider in Orange County, Calif., recently struck and killed an 81-year-old man. The child’s mother was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Please don’t buy your children e-bikes if they’re not legally allowed to ride them.
Remember, the Bend-La Pine Schools do not allow e-bikes on elementary or middle-school campuses, because no one attending those schools can legally ride them. Both the Old Mill District and the Bend Park & Recreation District also have specific rules regarding e-bike use.
Bend Park & Recreation District allows pedal-assisted e-bikes in parks and on trails. Throttle e-bikes can only be used on roads or parking areas.
“The number one thing we hear from our park and trail users is that they want e-bike riders to slow down,” said Julie Brown, BPRD Community Engagement Director. “We want all of our residents and visitors to enjoy their time in our parks and on our trails, and that means sharing trails and pathways and being aware of everyone’s safety.”
The Old Mill District is adding speed calming initiatives to the trails and at the entrances to the property in an effort to reduce e-bikers' speeds. The Old Mill District is private property that can trespass riders who refuse to follow its rules.
Both BPRD and the Old Mill District will have signs along trails this summer to remind users – both locals and tourists – to slow down, play by the rules, and keep each other safe.
“We’ve all heard from concerned community members who want us to address the issue of e-bikes on our roads,” Sheila Miller, Bend Police Communications Manager, said. “But our agencies can’t solve this problem alone. We need the public’s help.”
What can you do?
Know the rules of the road. Commute Options offers an e-bike safety course to help riders stay safe. The City of Bend also has a handy guide that includes how to safely navigate a roundabout on an e-bike.
Know where you can ride it safely and legally. Visit Bend offers a comprehensive guide of locations where various types of e-bikes are allowed. Also check out the park and trail rules.
Thinking about buying an e-bike? Do your research. Many of the electric vehicles we’re seeing on the roads right now are not street legal. General rules to know: if it doesn’t have pedals, it is not an e-bike. And even if it has pedals, the Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes' motors cut off at 20 MPH and Class 3 e-bikes' motors stop helping at 28 MPH. If you are considering purchasing something with a large motor and speeds advertised above 28 MPH, it’s an electric dirt bike or motorcycle and is not allowed on our roads.
