Gilbert police present e‑bike safety data as council considers helmet rules amid rise in juvenile injuries

Mayor Scott Anderson and the Town of Gilbert Council heard a police presentation on Aug. 26 on electric bicycle use, helmet use and possible ordinance options after officials reported a recent rise in juvenile e‑bike injuries.

Police presenter Mike Angstead with the Gilbert Police Department told the council the town has seen a surge in e‑bike use and a corresponding change in collision patterns, and presented crash, EMS and helmet‑use data the department collected.

Angstead said the department’s figures show verified helmet use among bicyclists in EMS responses at about 23 percent, meaning roughly 77 percent were not verified as wearing helmets. He told the council that major vehicle‑related bicycle collisions in 2024 included one adult fatality and five serious juvenile cases and that, in those major 2024 cases, only one person was wearing a helmet. “Wearing a helmet. There’s no downside to wearing a helmet,” Angstead said.

Why it matters: council members and staff said juvenile riders on higher‑speed e‑bikes are increasingly involved in serious crashes. Angstead…