In response to a troubling rise in traffic fatalities, including those involving minors on e-bikes, Hawaiian policymakers are urging for the implementation of more stringent regulations on electric bikes across public school campuses. According to Civil Beat, Hawaiʻi News Now reported the death toll from traffic accidents in the islands for the year nearing 100, with 65 fatalities recorded on Oʻahu. Gov. Josh Green's executive order targets "non-conforming e-bikes," a term typically referencing devices that exceed the 20 mph speed limit set for "low-speed electric bicycles" and do not require a driver's license to operate.
House Transportation Committee Chair Rep. Darius Kila has called for the Hawaiʻi Department of Education (HDOE) to enact a statewide ban, emphasizing uniformity in policy. "So this only makes sense if it can come from the top-level superintendent to give the guidance to every county, every state school, that we’re all on the same page. Because if we do it in Leeward Oahu and there's no adoption throughout the state, it doesn’t make sense," Kila told KHON2. This sentiment is a shift from the current decentralized policy by the HDOE, which has resulted in a scattered approach across individual schools and districts.
While e-bikes present an accessible means of transport amidst bus driver shortages and high fuel costs, the potential risks seem to be taking precedence. Maj. Paul Okamoto from Honolulu police stressed the importance of recognizing non-conforming e-bikes. "If your child’s e-bike doesn’t have pedals, it’s not considered a e-bike, they’re not supposed to be riding those on the road," he said. Current legislation has aged over 25 years without keeping pace with modern e-bike technology, making enforcement and clear classification challenging, as cited by Hawaiʻi Bicycling League advocacy director Eduardo Hernandez in statements made to KHON2.
Despite some pushback on a total ban, with advocates like Hernandez proposing more children should ride to school on legally conforming e-bikes to reduce traffic and emissions, recent tragedies have accelerated the call for action. After the death of 15-year-old Maddex Fiesta who was hit by a car while riding an e-bike, Kila remarked to Civil Beat, "Imagine if, from the beginning, the Department of Education instituted rules around what is allowed on their properties," and "If we could have potentially saved some of these students’ lives." It seems this possibility has given the issue more gravity in policy discussions.
In light of recent incidents and the widespread use of e-bikes among the youth, the HDOE, in a statement obtained by KHON2, acknowledged the urgency of the situation and expressed their intention to review the Governor's Executive Order and recommendations from legislators. "The Department is reviewing the Governor’s Executive Order and the recommendations from legislators. While we do not have a statewide e-bike policy at the moment, some schools and complex areas have set campus-specific rules," the HDOE statement read. The HDOE also stressed the shared responsibility of ensuring safe travel to and from school and is considering ways to strengthen protections for students.
