By The newspaper
15 Jul 2024, 19:20 PM EDT
As part of her commitment to protecting New Yorkers, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a legislative package to raise awareness about the safe use of electric bicycles and products containing lithium-ion batteries.
“As e-bike adoption increases and battery technology continues to develop, I urge New Yorkers to be aware of safety best practices and to use their devices and chargers appropriately,” the governor said.
“These laws underscore our commitment to helping New Yorkers make informed, safe and smart decisions when purchasing products with lithium-ion batteries and how to best store and use them to prevent further tragedies from occurring,” he said.
According to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), injuries caused by battery-related fires have increased by more than 1,000% over the past five years. In 2023 alone, there were more than 200 of these fires, resulting in 150 injuries and 18 deaths.
Two of the bills (A8450 and A7628) were introduced by Assemblyman Alex Bores. Last year, the lawmaker’s office released a report examining all electric bike and moped fires and all vehicle collisions in New York City. It found that electric bikes were 28 times more likely to cause a death than a regular bike.
Bill A7628 requires crash reports to specify when bicycles and electric scooters are involved, amending state crash reports and allowing for the collection of valuable data.
On the other hand, legislation A8450 addresses the countless unregistered mopeds throughout New York City. Mayor Eric Adams reported that last year the NYPD seized 12,500 illegal mopeds and scooters. While mopeds must be registered with the DMV and require a driver’s license to operate, there is a loophole that allows these vehicles to go unregistered at the point of sale, resulting in very few registrations. This bill closes that loophole.
“E-bikes are fast, but today we show that New York government is moving even faster,” said Assembly Member Bores. “E-bike and moped use has increased in New York City. This package of common-sense bills will keep New Yorkers safer from battery fires and collisions.”
Other legislation included in the package was S.8743/A.9338, sponsored by Assemblymember Manny De Los Santos, which directs the Department of State, in consultation with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, to develop and maintain safety resources, information, and protocols regarding fire hazard prevention related to, but not limited to, lithium-ion batteries, second-use lithium-ion batteries, electrically assisted bicycles as defined in section one hundred two-c of the Vehicle and Traffic Law, mopeds, and micromobility devices.
“Fire hazards caused by lithium-ion batteries have resulted in loss of homes, injuries, and loss of life due to lack of information on proper use and lack of safety standards,” Assemblymember De Los Santos said in a statement.
“This information, along with the series of measures enacted by Governor Hochul, will help keep people and their homes safe,” said De Los Santos.
Other laws
- Legislation S.154-f/A.4938-d prohibits the sale of lithium-ion batteries that do not meet manufacturing standards
- S.8742/A.9337 requires training materials for first responders in incidents involving lithium-ion batteries
- S.7503-b/A.1910-b requires retailers to provide manuals for items with lithium-ion batteries
- S.7760-a/A.8102-a requires devices to have red labels on cords indicating they should be unplugged when not in use.