Australia’s fast growing e bike market is coming under fresh scrutiny after a group ride across the Sydney Harbour Bridge triggered a police crackdown and renewed warnings from clinicians who say emergency departments are treating more serious crashes.
The incident which NSW Police said posed an obvious risk to motorists and pedestrians ended with an infringement notice for an American social media personality associated with the ride.
It has also sharpened a broader debate about high powered e bikes and electric motorbikes that are sold online, modified after purchase or imported in ways that make them hard to regulate on public roads and shared paths.
While comprehensive national injury data is patchy, NSW figures cited by federal health minister Mark Butler point to a sharp lift in harm with 233 e-bike injuries recorded in the first seven months of 2025 as compared with 226 across all of 2024 alongside four deaths in that early 2025 period.
In Sydney, the Children’s Hospital Network reported 94 children would be injured while riding e-bikes in 2025, up from 60 last year as schools and parents grapple with drop-offs and the speedy devices appearing on local roads.
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Queensland’s Department of Transport warns that e-bikes with motors over 250 watts are not allowed on public roads or paths and more powerful bikes locked to meet the limit are also prohibited.
Police operations are increasingly targeting non compliant bikes in city centres and cycling advocates are pushing for a mix of enforcement, education and safer riding culture to stop a transport trend turning into a lasting health burden.
