A teenager has been killed when his electric bike crashed into a pole in Tasmania’s northwest.
The 15-year-old boy from Devenport was riding his bike on Don Heads Road
on Wednesday evening when he crashed into a large wooden pole.
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Police said a witness rushed to try and help the boy but he could not be saved and died at the scene.
Police are urging e-bike users to be careful and follow all road safety rules. ABC Credit: ABC
Inspector Nick Clark said a helmet was found but they are unable to say whether the boy was wearing it when he crashed.
“He was only 15 years old, so this is tragic,” Mr Clark said to the ABC.
In Tasmania, only two types of e-bikes are legal – power-assisted pedal cycles and electrically power-assisted bicycles.
Power-assisted pedal cycles are usually powered through pedalling fitted with an auxiliary motor and cannot exceed 200 watts and weigh more than 50kg.
Electrically power-assisted bicycles are also powered through pedalling but the power assistance is progressively reduced as the travel speed increases and cannot exceed 250 watts.
Police warned potential buyers before Christmas about the dangers of illegal e-bikes and encouraged them to “research your purchase”.
Police said the purchasing of illegal e-bikes is increasing. ABC Credit: ABC
The tragedy occurred within hours of a separate Tasmanian road fatality – with a 72-year-old man dying after his motorbike veered off a roadway near Campbell Town.
The Kings Meadows man crashed into a culvert off Macquarie Road on Wednesday and died at the scene.
The two separate accidents took Tasmania’s 2025 road toll to 44, the highest since 2022 when 50 people died on the roads.
Mr Clark said the increase in motorcyclists killed in 2025 was a “concerning factor.”
