Eagle County Tackles E-bike Injury Surge with New Safety Campaign

The obvious take on the e-bike surge in Eagle County is that it’s a technology problem: faster bikes, more kids, more crashes. It’s easy to blame the machines. But the real issue isn’t that the bikes are too fast; it’s that the rules of the road haven’t updated since the invention of the internal combustion engine, and we’re trying to police a revolution with a ruler.

E-bikes are exploding in popularity across the High Country. They’re on the paved trails, they’re on the gravel roads, and they’re showing up in the emergency rooms. Children’s Hospital Colorado just reported a 184% increase in traumatic e-bike injuries between 2024 and 2025. Local officials confirm the trend is hitting Eagle County hard. The bikes can propel a young rider at speeds approaching 30 mph. That’s not a bicycle anymore. That’s a moped with pedals.

“Safety is our primary concern, and it’s very difficult to enforce safety in regards to e-bikes at the moment,” Eagle County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Karina Toscano wrote. “We are seeing riders not following traffic laws, riding without helmets, and carrying multiple passengers in unsafe ways.”

The visual is familiar to anyone who drives past the high schools in the afternoons. Kids, some without helmets, blowing through stop signs. Bouncing off vehicles. Winding up in the ER. The question is whether current education efforts can stop a demographic that doesn’t feel invincible until they hit the pavement.

“There’s only so much education we can do,” Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Clayton said. “I don’t want to be writing tickets to 7-year-olds. Ultimately, it comes down to parents making sure their kids are riding safely and following the rules.”

It’s a simple answer, but it highlights the gap in our system. We’ve handed teenagers the keys to a vehicle that moves faster than a car on a residential street and told them to use their best judgment. The local response has been a campaign called “Own the Ride,” run by Mountain Youth and backed by Vail Health, the school district, and local towns. They’re using posters, stickers, and videos to emphasize three things: wear a helmet, be visible, and manage your speed.

“Based on a survey and other feedback, we focused on three priority messages — proper helmet use, visibility, and speed management,” Deputy Eagle County Manager Regina O’Brien wrote. “This youth-driven strategy was designed to be relatable, perishable, and engaging rather than lecturing.”

It’s a good pitch. But is it enough when the state laws are lagging?

Eagle County Sheriff’s Sgt. Heath Mosness thinks education alone is hitting a ceiling. “The e-Bike popularity has taken off quickly, and the laws haven’t kept up,” Mosness wrote.

That lack of legal clarity is creating confusion for everyone from the law enforcement ranks to the Colorado Department of Transportation. CDOT has launched its own “Go Safe Go Far” campaign, but without stricter statewide laws, enforcement remains inconsistent. Colorado State Sen. Dylan Roberts of Frisco says the issue is dominating town halls.

“This has come up at several town hall meetings over the last few weeks, including the one we did in Eagle last week,” Roberts said. “One of my co”

The sentence cuts off in the source, but the implication is clear: the political pressure is mounting. Roberts and other officials are hearing the same complaints from constituents who are tired of dodging silent, fast-moving bikes on shared paths.

The technology is here to stay. E-bikes are cheaper than cars, quieter than ATVs, and faster than walking. They’re changing how people commute and play in the valley. But we’re currently operating in a regulatory gray area where a 7-year-old on a Class 1 e-bike can legally travel at the same speed as a car on a bike path, provided they’re wearing a helmet.

The community is trying to adapt. The “Own the Ride” campaign is a start. But as Mosness noted, the laws need to catch up. Until then, it’s on parents to watch their kids, on riders to watch the road, and on officials to figure out if we need more tickets or just better rules.

“The e-Bike popularity has taken off quickly, and the laws haven’t kept up,” Mosness said. That’s the bottom line. We have the bikes. We have the riders. We just need the rules to match.