Statewide regulations are coming for e-bikes under an executive order by Gov. Josh Green aimed at reducing traffic fatalities.
Green signed the order Thursday, amid a traffic safety awareness campaign by the Honolulu Police Department. This year so far, there have been 56 fatal accidents on O‘ahu, more than the 52 reported through all of 2024, according to HPD statistics.
Green said in a statement Thursday that this year's statewide traffic death toll sits at 93, "with a disproportionate amount of the dead being pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists or moped riders."
According to preliminary data provided by Green's office, more than 70% of this year's traffic fatalities involved "vulnerable road users" — i.e., pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists — and nearly 90% showed signs of "risky or negligent behavior" such as speeding or failure to yield.
Consequently, the executive order calls upon the state Department of Transportation to consult with county governments to develop rules and standards for the use of e-bikes. The Department of Education is also advised to set policies prohibiting students from bringing "non-conforming e-bikes" onto public school campuses.
The order also encourages the state judiciary to require people cited for speeding or DUI to attend traffic safety education programs.
Other provisions of the order include a proposed tiered system for driver's license renewals, wherein drivers' records sort them into "good," "moderate" and "poor" tiers, with different license renewal requirements for each. The order calls for the DOT to consider the feasibility of such a system.
Green also directed the DOT to:
- develop a task force to make recommendations regarding videos taken by members of the public as evidence in traffic investigations
- develop possible policies for impounding vehicles of people cited for multiple traffic offenses — which could include e-bikes modified to increase their maximum speeds beyond the manufacturer's intent
- assess where the state's high-risk traffic corridors are located, for the purposes of increased police enforcement.
“For years, we and our traffic safety partners have done the sign waving and handing out lights and all the feel-good stuff, to try to convince people to take the actions science has proven will keep them safe," Green said in a statement. "It’s time to take bold action to convince our friends and neighbors that following the rules of the road will keep themselves and others safe."
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