Norfolk Police warn against E-bike modification, on safety grounds
A report earlier this week found police seizures of illegally modified electric bikes have increased in the past year
Police in Norfolk are warning people not to modify E-bikes for their own safety.
A report earlier this week found police seizures of illegally modified electric bikes have increased in the past year.
Under UK law, e-bike motors must cut out when a speed of 15.5mph is reached. But Police forces across the UK say they're are increasingly finding many have been modified to reach much faster speeds.
Officers say they're increasingly finding that e-bikes can be powered without the pedals being turned, effectively making them electric mopeds or motorbikes which must be registered and taxed.
Conversion kits can be available online for as little as £300.
"A significant fire risk"
Inspector Gary Miller is from the Joint Norfolk and Suffolk Roads & Armed Policing Team:
He told us modifying the bikes with non UK regulated products can cause fires:
"Some of the products that are available on the market, generally speaking in the UK, if it's a UK designed and built product it will conform to domestic regulations. But what are seeing is that there's a lot of global imports, with poor quality lithium batteries within them".
"The issue that we've seen- most vividly from the Fire service- is that when these items are on charge, the batteries are not of good enough quality and therefore things are more likely to explode in people's houses, making them a significant fire risk".
"Pose the same danger and provoke the same fear as a motorbike"
Tanya Braun, director of policy and communications at walking charity Living Streets, said:
"Illegally modified e-bikes used on pavements pose the same danger and provoke the same fear as a motorbike coming up alongside a pedestrian".
She stressed the need for "properly resourcing community policing" to support enforcement of e-bike laws, and for awareness of the safety hazard the vehicles create so users "know what it is they are buying".
What's the Government doing on this?
In the King's Speech, the Government promised they would put 'A Product Safety and Metrology Bill' before Parliament.
A bill which aims to will clamp down on the dangerous chargers, batteries and e-bike kits.