Traveling on an e-bike? Pembroke Pines police share safety tips, rules of road
Electrically assisted bicycles, commonly known as e-bikes, have seen a steady rise in use in recent years.
As the motor-powered bikes climbed in popularity, so have injuries.
In an Instagram post, the Pembroke Pines Police Department reminds residents of common safety practices now that school is out and more families will take to the city’s streets.
The department also said that some residents have reported reckless biker behavior around their neighborhoods.
Here are some safety reminders from Pembroke Pines police:
- All riders under 16 years of age must wear a helmet.
- An e-bikes speed cannot exceed 30 mph.
- Riders must obey traffic signals and signs, and yield to pedestrians.
- If riding on a sidewalk, riders must give an audible alert (such as a bell or a verbal warning) before passing pedestrians.
- Only one rider per e-bike, unless it is designed for multiple riders.
According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, trauma-related injuries from e-bike accidents are spiking in Broward County.
Memorial Healthcare System recorded a “178% increase in e-bike/e-scooter trauma alerts from 2024 to 2025, and that trend appears to be continuing in 2026,” the Sun Sentinel reported in April.
The League of American Bicyclists classifies e-bikes into a three-class system based on speed and regulations.
A class three designation caps bike speed at around 28 mph and may require a helmet to operate, a certain age and could be restricted to specific paths clear from pedestrians depending on the city.
The other two top out at about 20 mph and are “generally treated like a standard bicycle.”
A bill moving through the Florida Senate, SB 382, calls for municipalities to set requirements on how fast riders are able to go on sidewalks or shared pedestrian paths.
It would also mandate that the Florida Highway Patrol, sheriff’s offices and local police departments maintain records of all e-bike crashes.
“Our road patrol and Traffic Unit will be keeping an eye out to make sure that everyone remains safe on our roadway,” PPPD wrote in the post.
