Kensington and Chelsea Council is set to formally request better data on e-bike collisions from the Department for Transport, driven by concerns over the current lack of specific information on e-bike involvement in road incidents.

The Environment Select Committee reviewed recent road casualty data, noting that e-bikes are currently recorded simply as pedal cycles. This classification means their specific involvement in collisions is only identifiable through supplementary text notes, hindering the council's ability to implement targeted interventions.

Pie charts comparing road casualty data for Inner London and RBKC, broken down by user type (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and others).
Pie charts comparing road casualty data for Inner London and RBKC, broken down by user type (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and others).

To address this data gap, the committee is considering writing to the Department for Transport to request that police reports provide a more detailed breakdown of e-bikes involved in collisions. This would include specifying whether the e-bikes were rental, privately owned, or potentially illegal. Such detailed information would enable more focused targeting and action to improve safety. Specifically, the council envisions implementing a programme of engineering interventions at targeted locations and targeted enforcement at locations with high numbers of collisions.

The additional weight of e-bikes also presents an increased risk of serious injury to both riders and those struck by them. While the exact number of e-bike related incidents is unknown, the borough saw a significant increase in hire e-bike trips. In July-September 2024, 81,000 hire e-bike trips started in the borough per week, rising to 118,000 per week in the equivalent period of 2025 – an increase of 45 percent. However, the document notes that we do not know how many of the 27 cyclist KSIs in 2019 or 43 cyclist KSIs in 2024 involved e-bikes. ¹

A line graph showing the progress against the 2022 KSI target, illustrating the number of Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) casualties per year from 2005 to 2024.
A line graph showing the progress against the 2022 KSI target, illustrating the number of Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) casualties per year from 2005 to 2024.

¹ The meeting information states that In July-September 2024 the number of reported hire e-bike trips that started in the borough was 81,000 per week. In 2025 for the equivalent period that figure rose to 118,000 per week, an increase of 45 percent. However, the document also notes that we do not know how many of the 27 cyclist KSIs in 2019 or 43 cyclist KSIs in 2024 involved e-bikes.