SAFE Ride Act of 2025
The SAFE Ride Act of 2025 would create a federal grant program administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to help states establish and maintain electric bike safety programs, with a focus on shared e-bike systems. To qualify for grants, states must demonstrate enforcement of safety requirements for shared e-bike operations, provide public helmet and safety education specific to e-bikes (including curricula developed under the measure), implement helmet safety laws aligned with national standards, collect and report e-bike accident data (including demographic information) to the Secretary, support local law enforcement in enforcing safety measures, and fund efforts to curb unsafe underage riding. The bill also directs the Secretary to establish national safety standards recommending helmet use for riders under 18 and to develop publicly available safety curricula for e-bike use. Overall, the bill aims to standardize safety practices, improve data collection, and strengthen enforcement to reduce injuries associated with e-bikes, particularly among youth.
Key Points
- 1Creates a federal grant program through NHTSA to fund state e-bike safety programs, with eligibility linked to enforcement, education, helmet laws, data collection, and local enforcement support.
- 2Requires states to enforce safety requirements for shared e-bike systems, provide helmet/ride safety education (including specified curricula), and enact helmet safety laws modeled on national standards.
- 3Requires states to collect and report e-bike accident data to the federal government, disaggregated by demographic, and to share data with the Secretary.
- 4Requires states to support local law enforcement in enforcing e-bike safety measures and to fund guidance and activities addressing unsafe underage riding, including penalties, impounding unsafe vehicles, and outreach.
- 5Establishes national standards recommending helmet use for riders under 18 and develops publicly accessible safety curricula covering e-bike usage and helmet safety.
- 6Authorizes guidelines to operate and implement these provisions.