Gwent Police documented over 6,500 road collisions within twelve months as accidents involving electric bicycles and high-powered electric motorcycles continue to prompt safety concerns.
A Freedom of Information disclosure reveals that during 2025, 6,532 road traffic collisions were recorded under the classifications RTC damage only and RTC death/injury within the Gwent Police area.
Although the figures do not break down how many involved electric bicycles specifically, officers indicate they encompass everything from minor bumps to severe and fatal impacts.
The extent of these incidents is now being considered alongside recent serious collisions involving electric bicycles and Sur-Ron-style vehicles in Newport, Chepstow and throughout south Wales.
Earlier this month, 30-year-old Josh Roberts from Monmouthshire passed away in hospital following a collision between an electric bicycle and a bus on the A48 at Pwllmeyric, close to Chepstow.
His loved ones described him as the most remarkable father, son, grandson, brother and uncle and a loveable rogue who touched the lives of so many people.
Days afterwards in Newport, a Sur-Ron rider was transported to hospital with serious injuries after a crash with a car on Chepstow Road at the junction with Victoria Avenue, with the air ambulance dispatched to the location.
Outside Gwent, police forces and local authorities throughout Wales have raised concerns about the expanding use of powerful, unregistered electric bicycles and electric motorcycles on public roads, pavements and parks.
Many of these vehicles are legally classified as motorcycles or mopeds, meaning they should be registered, insured and ridden by someone holding the appropriate licence and wearing a helmet, otherwise they cannot be used on public land and may be seized.
In certain areas, complaints have resulted in targeted operations and discussions about bans or restrictions on particular types of bicycles, particularly where riders have been speeding through housing estates, travelling against traffic or using pavements.
Gwent Police have highlighted efforts such as Operation Harley and other crackdowns, which have involved confiscating illegal electric bicycles and off-road machines and, under new powers, destroying them within days to prevent them reappearing on the streets.
National reports have also raised broader concerns, from battery fire risks associated with cheap conversion kits and imports, to delivery workers using unregulated electric bicycles in the gig economy. Campaigners argue that clearer local data on collisions and injuries, combined with stronger enforcement and education, are necessary to balance the benefits of electric bicycles with the dangers of illegal or reckless use.
For families like Josh Roberts’ and for residents living with near-misses and late-night engine noise outside their homes, the question now centres on what should happen next.
Should there be stricter regulations, more visible patrols, improved cycling infrastructure, or tougher action against illegal machines, and where does the boundary sit between legitimate cycling and vehicles that should be treated as motorcycles?