10-05-2025
Pensioner put into coma after being hit by e-bike calls for crackdown
Speaking from his home in Middlesbrough, the man said: 'The sale of these illegal off-road bikes should be controlled. They should only be sold to people with full driving licences who have shown they can obey the rules of the road.
'I had sat down at the bus stop for a breather. But when I got up again I stepped out onto the pavement and the bike hit me. Because it's electric, I couldn't hear it coming.'
His injuries mean he now struggles to wash himself and cannot look after his grandson.
He told the court: 'Now I struggle to lift my right arm and find everyday tasks, such as washing myself, difficult. I'm hypersensitive if I go out, particularly if I see a bike. I have been advised it will take me 18 months to properly recover.
'I'm angry he was on the bike on the pavement. He acted in an entitled manner. I hope no other person has to go through the trauma I have been through.'
Allday, from Guisborough, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was disqualified from driving on a public road for two-and-a-half-years, and must pass an extended driving test before he is allowed back on the roads.
Sentencing him, Judge Richard Bennett said the electric bike was not 'road legal' and should not have been on either the road or pavement.
Speed restrictions
Seizures by the police of illegally modified e-bikes almost doubled last year, amid concerns their speed and weight present a lethal threat to pedestrians.
Under existing laws, an e-bike must have a motor with no more than 250 watts of power, restricted to speeds below 15.5mph.
They must also require the rider to pedal – as opposed to being operated by an accelerator button on the handles.
Police have caught a string of people using illegal e-bikes on motorways, while motorcycle manufacturers complain they are also being adopted by food delivery riders to race around towns and cities.
The pensioner added: 'The police can't follow people on these powerful e-bikes, no matter what laws are passed.
'I see them travelling at speed all the time around here. Some lads are even on quad bikes.'
