Police Scotland are seizing hundreds of illegally modified e-bikes due to a rise in accidents and injuries. Officers warn these bikes can reach dangerous speeds and lack proper brakes.
Police Scotland have warned of a growing trend in illegally-modified e-bikes following a spate of collisions and injuries in city centres. BBC Scotland News has learned officers seized almost 300 dangerous bikes between January and September this year alone. Some of the vehicles, originally pedal bikes, had electric motors added and were able to travel much faster than their brakes can cope with - sometimes up to 40mph and travelling on pavements.
The force has warned anyone caught using an illegal e-bike on public roads could be charged and have their bike confiscated.It is legal to ride an electric bike without a driving licence and they do not need to be registered, taxed or insured - but they do need to meet certain requirements.They are also subject to the same road laws as other bikes, therefore should only be used on cycle paths and roads. Any bike that travels faster than 15.5mph and has more than a 200 watt output is classed as a motor vehicle and is therefore subject to the Road Traffic Act.Insp Hugh Nicholls said officers are seeing more incidents involving modified e-bikes Insp Hugh Nicholls, from Greater Glasgow's road policing unit said he is concerned about a growing trend of illegally-modified e-bikes. He said: 'We often find that these vehicles have been modified, so they start off life as a pedal cycle and then they have an adaption kit put on to add an electric motor and electric battery to it. 'That's particularly dangerous as the bike itself isn't designed for that and the brakes won't be designed to stop that. They can generally go a lot faster than 15.5mph.' He added that police regularly come across three types of e-bikes - regular pedal bikes that have been adapted and have engines attached onto them, electric bikes that have a throttle and can reach speeds of up to 60mph and bikes that do not have pedals and are essentially motorbikes powered by an electric engin
E-BIKES SAFETY MODIFICATION TRAFFIC LAW ACCIDENTS
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