SAFE Ride Act of 2025
The SAFE Ride Act of 2025, introduced in the House by Rep. Gottheimer, would direct the Secretary of Transportation (through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) to create a federal grant program to help states implement electric bike (e-bike) safety initiatives. To be eligible for grants, states must show they have an active e-bike safety program and meet several requirements, including enforcing safety rules for shared e-bike systems, providing public education on helmet use and safe riding, adopting helmet safety laws aligned with national standards, collecting and reporting e-bike accident data (including by demographic), and supporting local law enforcement in enforcing these safety measures and addressing unsafe underage riding (including penalties and vehicle impounding). The act also requires the development of national safety standards and curricula—such as helmet use recommendations for riders under 18 and publicly available safety curricula—and authorizes guidelines to implement the program.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a federal grant program under the NHTSA to fund state electric bike safety efforts, with states eligible only if they have an active e-bike safety program and meet specified criteria.
- 2Eligibility requirements include: enforcement of safety rules for shared e-bike systems; public education on helmet use and e-bike safety; helmet laws modeled after national standards; data collection and reporting on e-bike accidents (by demographic) to the Secretary; support for local law enforcement to implement safety measures.
- 3Focus on underage riders: the program targets helmet safety for riders under 18 and requires guidance and funding to local authorities to address unsafe underage riding, including penalties and impounding of unsafe e-bikes.
- 4National standards and curricula: the Secretary must establish national standards recommending helmet use for riders under 18 and develop publicly available safety curricula related to e-bike use and helmet safety.
- 5Implementation tools: the Secretary will issue guidelines to carry out the program, and states must align with these standards and reporting requirements to maintain eligibility for grants.