Bicycle, e-bike and scooter safety: how drivers and riders share the road
How to give riders room, avoid door and turn crashes and ride safely yourself
Picture a driver easing toward a right turn on a busy street. The bike lane looked empty a few seconds ago. But now a commuter on an e-bike, moving at 20 mph, is right beside the passenger door.
In 2024, 1,103 bicyclists were killed and an estimated 52,887 were injured in U.S. traffic crashes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports [1]. Since 2022, that count includes people riding e-bikes [1]. E-bike injuries treated in emergency rooms rose nearly tenfold from 2017 to 2023, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found [5].
Most of these crashes come down to space and timing. This guide covers both sides of the handlebars, with checklists for drivers and riders.
Who gets hurt, and where
Bicyclists made up 2.8% of U.S. traffic deaths in 2024. Their deaths fell 6% from 2023 while injuries rose 6% [1]. Over the longer run, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found deaths have climbed 73% since their 2010 low [3].
- Mostly adults: The average bicyclist killed was 48 years old. Of those killed, 87% were male [1]. IIHS found 89% were 20 or older [3].
- Between intersections: 60% died away from intersections and 30% at them [1]. IIHS, which counts differently, puts 39% at intersections [3].
- After dark: 52% died in the dark [1], with deaths peaking from 6 to 9 p.m. [3].
Speed raises the stakes: research summarized by NHTSA found a bicycle crash becomes much more likely to be fatal once vehicle speeds top 20 mph [6].
For e-bikes, e-scooters and hoverboards, CPSC knew of 373 deaths from 2017 through 2023 [5]. Crashes with motor vehicles were the leading cause of death on e-bikes (113) and e-scooters (107) [5]. These counts may rise as death reports arrive [5]. Police also often record e-scooter crashes as pedestrian crashes [7].
E-bikes and e-scooters: faster than they look
Federal rules for national park lands define an e-bike as having working pedals and a motor of 750 watts or less, in three classes [9]:
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
| Class | How the motor helps | Motor help stops at | Feet per second at that speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Only while you pedal | 20 mph | About 29 |
| Class 2 | Can move the bike with no pedaling (throttle) | 20 mph | About 29 |
| Class 3 | Only while you pedal | 28 mph | About 41 |
*Our calculations.
Definitions differ: New York City lists Class 3 bikes at 25 mph and e-scooters at 20 mph, but caps both at 15 mph on city streets [10]. Pennsylvania’s bicycle manual uses one definition with a 20 mph motor limit [13].
Why speed fools drivers: NHTSA tells drivers not to underestimate a bicyclist’s speed [2] and warns that they may misjudge an e-bike rider’s speed [7]. You have years of practice sizing up regular bikes. An e-bike looks almost the same, so your gut guesses too slow.
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
How soon a rider 150 feet away reaches you (our calculations)
| Rider’s speed | Time to cover 150 feet |
|---|---|
| 12 mph | About 8.5 seconds |
| 20 mph | About 5.1 seconds |
| 28 mph | About 3.7 seconds |
A gap that feels like 8 seconds may really be less than 4. So treat every bike as if it might be an e-bike going 20 mph.
Passing a bicyclist: give a lane, not a squeeze
NHTSA’s research guide reports that overtaking crashes are the most common fatal bicycle crash type in both cities and rural areas [6]. NHTSA advises passing a bicyclist as you would any vehicle, by moving into the next lane when it is safe, and leaving at least 3 feet [1, 2].
Riders move left for good reasons: glass, potholes, car doors or a left turn ahead. On roads with two or more narrow lanes each way, Pennsylvania’s bicycle manual tells riders to use the middle of the right lane [13]. This is called taking the lane. It means you should change lanes to pass.
On two lane roads, pass a rider the way you would pass a slow tractor. Wait for a long, clear view of the oncoming lane. Never pass near a hill crest, curve or intersection. The delay is small: following a 15 mph rider for 20 seconds costs you about 10 seconds compared with driving 30 mph (our calculation).
If any answer is no, ease off and wait.
The door zone: look, then open
Pennsylvania’s bicycle manual says a rider moving faster than about 5 mph can’t stop in time for a door that opens suddenly [13]. It tells riders the usable street starts about 3 feet out from parked cars [13]. California’s handbook tells drivers to check for bicyclists before opening a door next to traffic [11].
Try the far hand reach, sometimes called the Dutch reach:
- Check your side mirror before you touch the door.
- Reach for the handle with the hand farther from the door: your right hand on the driver’s side.
- That reach turns your body, so look over your shoulder through the gap.
- Open the door a few inches first. Swing it wide only when the lane is clear.
Teach passengers the same habit, and have rideshare passengers exit on the curb side.
Intersections, driveways and garages
Two classic crashes happen at turns:
- Right hook: A driver passes a rider, or pulls up beside one, then turns right across the rider’s path.
- Left cross: A driver turning left misjudges an oncoming rider’s speed and turns in front of them.
NHTSA advises drivers to search for bicyclists in parking lots, at stop signs and when backing up [2]. Before a right turn on red, it says to look right and behind for a rider coming up from the right rear [2]. Oregon requires drivers to yield to riders in a bike lane or on a sidewalk before turning across it [12].
Driveways and parking garages hide riders behind walls, hedges and parked cars. Stop before the sidewalk, then creep forward and look both ways before pulling out. For mirror and shoulder check technique, see our guide to lane changes and blind spots.
Bike lanes, green paint, bike boxes and sharrows
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
| Marking | What it means | What drivers do |
|---|---|---|
| Bike lane (white line, bike symbol) | Space set aside for riders | Never drive, stop or park in it. Cross only where your state allows. |
| Solid green paint | Makes a bike lane easier to see [15] | Treat it as bike space. |
| Dashed green through an intersection or driveway | Where bikes and cars cross paths [15] | Yield to riders before crossing [12]. |
| Bike box (green box with a bike symbol at a signal) | Space for riders to wait ahead of cars | Stop behind it, never in it [12]. Obey any NO TURN ON RED sign. |
| Sharrow (bike symbol with two chevrons) | The lane is shared; riders may use it [12] | Expect riders in the lane. Pass only with a full lane change. |
| Protected bike lane (posts, curbs or other barriers) | Riders are physically set apart | Watch for riders reappearing at driveways and corners. |
Physical separation helps: in a three city Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) study, lanes with flexible posts were linked to about half the bicycle crashes of standard painted lanes [14].
Stopping in a bike lane for “just a minute” pushes riders into traffic. Find a legal spot at the curb instead.
For riders: be seen, be predictable
Ride with traffic: NHTSA tells riders to go the same direction as traffic [2]. That way, drivers coming up behind you only need to slow to your speed [13].
Pick your lane position: California’s handbook says to use a bike lane when possible. Otherwise, stay near the right edge when slower than traffic, except when passing, turning or avoiding hazards [11]. Ride outside the door zone. Take the lane when it is too narrow to share [13].
Scan and signal: Look back before you change position, even with a mirror, because mirrors miss riders beside you. Practice turning your head without swerving [13]. Pennsylvania law sets the hand signals: left arm straight out for a left turn, and left arm bent down to stop [13]. For a right turn, bend your left arm up or hold your right arm straight out [13].
Light up: NHTSA advises bright clothing by day and, at night, a white front light, a red rear light and reflectors [2]. Pennsylvania, for example, requires bikes ridden at night to have a white headlamp seen from 500 feet and a red rear reflector seen from 500 feet [13].
Wear a helmet: NHTSA calls a helmet the single most effective way to prevent head injury [1]. IIHS reports that helmets are estimated to cut the odds of head injury by about half [4]. Yet 68% of bicyclists killed in 2024 were not wearing one [3].
Ride sober: In 2024, 17% of fatal bike crashes involved a rider with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher. Such a driver was involved in 14% [1].
E-bike and e-scooter riding skills
Leave more room to stop: At 10 mph you cover about 15 feet in one second of reaction time. At 28 mph, you cover about 41 feet. Braking distance grows with the square of speed, so doubling your speed roughly quadruples it (our calculations).
Watch the surface: Many e-scooter crashes involve no other vehicle and happen on sidewalks or rough pavement, NHTSA’s research guide notes [7]. Slow for cracks, curbs and potholes, and keep both hands on the bars. Carry one rider only.
Know where you may ride: Sidewalk rules differ by city [2]. New York City, for example, keeps e-bikes and e-scooters off sidewalks [10].
Gear up and be seen: Only 16% of riders wore helmets in CPSC’s follow up of 411 e-scooter injuries in 2023 [5]. A quarter said poor visibility may have played a role [5].
Charge with care: CPSC linked 40 deaths from 2017 through 2023 to lithium ion battery fires on these devices (our total) [5]. Use the charger made for your battery. Charge where you can watch it, and retire a damaged battery.
Kids and teens on e-bikes and scooters
Deaths of bicyclists under 20 have dropped 88% since 1975, IIHS found [3]. Young riders still show up often in micromobility injuries. Children 5 to 14 had 67% of hoverboard injuries. People 15 to 24 had 26% of e-scooter injuries, twice their share of the population [5].
For parents:
- Start with a Class 1 bike, on its lowest speed setting if it has one.
- Ride the route together first, pointing out driveways and turning cars.
- Agree on rules: helmet and lights every ride, no phones, and no passengers unless the bike is built for them.
Frequently asked questions
How much room should I give a cyclist when passing?
NHTSA says at least 3 feet. Some states require more [1, 8]. The best practice is a full lane change. If you can’t give that room safely, slow down and wait.
What is the Dutch reach?
It means opening your car door with the hand farther from it. The reach turns your body so you look back for riders before the door swings out.
Can I drive in the bike lane to make a right turn?
It depends on your state. California says to merge in no more than 200 feet before the turn [11]. But Oregon says not to enter it at all [12]. Either way, yield to riders first.
Why do cyclists ride in the middle of the lane?
Usually the lane is too narrow to share, or they are avoiding car doors or debris [13]. Change lanes to pass, as you would around any slow vehicle.
The bottom line
Recommendation from Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
Drivers: pass with a full lane or wait. Look in the bike lane and on the sidewalk before every turn or door opening. Riders: be seen, ride with traffic and wear a helmet. Treat every bike as if it might be faster than it looks.
Related articles
- Lane changes and blind spots: a safe routine every driver can use
- Right of way rules: four way stops, crosswalks and roundabouts explained
- Pedestrian safety for drivers: how to spot, yield to and protect walkers
- Night driving safety: how to see hazards and stop in time after dark
- Safe System approach: how road design protects you from human mistakes
Sources and further reading
- 1National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Bicyclists and Other Cyclists: 2024 Data. Traffic Safety Facts, DOT HS 813 822. July 2026. crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/…/813822
- 2NHTSA. Bicycle Safety. Accessed October 2026. nhtsa.gov/road-safety/bicycle-safety
- 3Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Fatality Facts 2024: Bicyclists. Posted June 2026. iihs.org/…/bicyclists
- 4IIHS. Pedestrians and Bicyclists (research area). Updated August 2026. iihs.org/research-areas/pedestrians-and-bicyclists
- 5Tark J, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Micromobility Products-Related Deaths, Injuries, and Hazard Patterns: 2017 to 2023. September 2024. cpsc.gov/…/Micromobility…2017-2023.pdf
- 6NHTSA. Countermeasures That Work: Bicycle Safety, Understanding the Problem. Accessed October 2026. nhtsa.gov/book/countermeasures-that-work/…/understanding-problem
- 7NHTSA. Countermeasures That Work: Bicycle Safety, Emerging Issues. Accessed October 2026. nhtsa.gov/book/countermeasures-that-work/…/emerging-issues
- 8National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Safely Passing Bicyclists Chart. Updated September 5, 2023 (counts as of September 2021). ncsl.org/…/safely-passing-bicyclists-chart
- 9Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 36 CFR 1.4, What terms do I need to know? (National Park Service; electric bicycle definitions). Accessed October 2026. ecfr.gov/…/section-1.4
- 10New York City Department of Transportation. E-Bikes and E-Scooters. Accessed October 2026. nyc.gov/html/dot/…/ebikes.shtml
- 11California Department of Motor Vehicles. California Driver’s Handbook: Laws and Rules of the Road (continued). Updated June 11, 2025. dmv.ca.gov/…/laws-and-rules-of-the-road-cont1
- 12Oregon Department of Transportation, DMV. Oregon Driver Manual, Section 4: Sharing the Road. Accessed October 2026. oregon.gov/odot/DMV/…/Study-Section_4.aspx
- 13Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Pennsylvania Bicycle Driver’s Manual. PUB 380 (4-26). April 2026. pa.gov/…/pub 380.pdf
- 14Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Developing Crash Modification Factors for Separated Bicycle Lanes (TechBrief). FHWA-HRT-23-025. February 2023. highways.dot.gov/…/FHWA-HRT-23-025.pdf
- 15FHWA. MUTCD Interim Approval IA-14: Optional Use of Green Colored Pavement for Bike Lanes. April 15, 2011 (since incorporated into the 11th Edition MUTCD). mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/…/ia14
This article reflects the safety priorities of bicycle and micromobility safety. It is general education, not legal or professional advice for any individual. Figures marked as our calculations are simplified examples. Laws, data and vehicle features change, so verify details with official sources. Reviewed October 2026.
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