Q&A
Council Member De La Rosa inquires about e-bike weight and safety data
1:06:49
·
100 sec
Council Member De La Rosa raises a question about the relationship between e-bike weight and safety, particularly regarding mortality rates in collisions. DOT officials respond with information about weight limits and the physics of vehicle collisions.
- De La Rosa asks if there's data on mortality rates based on the weight of the vehicle
- Commissioner Rodriguez notes that most crash data involves cars, not just e-bikes
- Assistant Commissioner Will Carry explains that e-bikes are limited to 100 pounds by state law
- Carry emphasizes that larger, heavier vehicles pose more risk to pedestrians, with cars being the most dangerous
Carmen De La Rosa
1:06:49
One question I I do have specifically, I see that the categories for the ebikes are done by speed.
1:06:56
One of the, ideas that I tried to introduce into the conversation was about the weight of the bikes.
1:07:01
Is there any data?
1:07:03
Is there anything that speaks to, the mortality when someone is hit, depending on the weight of the vehicle?
Ydanis Rodriguez
1:07:11
Again, like, most most of most of the bikes.
1:07:16
And and Will can also, add compliments, but when we look at the data, one that is too many Of course.
1:07:24
For all of us.
1:07:26
But most data that we have in crashes is involving vehicles, not just a ebike.
1:07:31
But, Will, would you like to?
Will Carry
1:07:34
Thank you council member for, for the question.
1:07:36
It's very you're you're you're dead right.
1:07:39
Weight is critical.
1:07:41
Under state law, e bikes cannot be
Michael Sutherland
1:07:43
more than a
Will Carry
1:07:43
£100.
1:07:45
Some of the mopeds, both legal and illegal that we see on the streets, are well in excess of that.
1:07:51
So £20250 and obviously a car can be or truck can be many, many tons.
1:07:56
And what we know from years of vision, your research is, what we all learned in physics as a high school student.
1:08:04
You know, the bigger the mass, the higher the speed, the more force.
1:08:09
So, you know, the the bigger the vehicle is, obviously with a motor vehicle posing the most risk to a pedestrian.
1:08:17
But I think that's also why we have a lot of concerns about mopeds, and why e bikes can be a safer alternative to a moped, is because they don't travel as fast and they don't weigh as much.
