'Out of control': Illawarra's fat-tyre electric bikes are taking over

But there's no helmet on that adolescent head, or on her passenger's. She's not pedalling because the bike's got a powerful motor - it's approaching 50km/h. It's really more of a motorbike, but she's not licensed.

A driver slams on the brakes as the cruiser darts unexpectedly across the road. It's not so carefree after all - not for the driver.

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The craze for fat-tyre "e-motorbikes" - different to legal, power-assisted e-bikes that still require the rider to pedal - took off in the Illawarra's seaside suburbs during the dying days of COVID lockdowns.

Now scores of Illawarra residents are sharing stories of near-misses on roads and footpaths, and speculating that a teen tragedy is coming.

In one account posted to social media in January, an Austinmer resident attempted to send a message to the parents of a girl he said he'd almost hit with his car

"You are bloody lucky that she is still alive," he told them, adding he was "still shaking" from the encounter.

"She shot out across the south bound lane without looking and very nearly went under my car ... she was out of control and nearly had her young life ruined or ended."

Another described a near-miss on Redman Avenue at Thirroul earlier this month, where a car almost collided with two bikes carrying a combined five teen riders - "not one of them with a helmet on".

"A car came out of Bean St and nearly hit them, they just laughed and kept going ... I will never forget the look on the poor male driver's face. Him and I just shook our heads."

Austinmer's John Roach, who is also the retired chief executive of the acquired brain injury support service, Headway Illawarra, has grown used to receiving a "defiant" response from local riders when he pulls up alongside them and suggests they wear their helmet.

He says he tries to intervene because he has seen firsthand the devastating effects of brain injury.

"You've got two arms and two legs - you can break those," he said.

"But if you injure your brain, basically your whole body is affected. You may never walk again; you may never talk again."

"You can be foolhardy, as we all were as kids. But we had conventional bicycles. These things are motorised - they're no different to motorcycles - and to drive a conventional motorcycle you have to do a driving test, have lessons, L-plates ... There's also an age requirement.

"Now, these kids are 12 and 13 and they're driving motorised vehicles on footpaths or the road and it's just insanity really."

"The parents are letting them, and that's one of the conundrums."

From July 2021, the Australian government updated requirements for e-bikes, clarifying the bikes cannot be solely propelled by the motor, which must cut out at 25km/h for electrically power-assisted cycles.

In NSW, any power-assisted bikes that do not comply with regulations have to be registered and fitted with a number plate, and the rider licensed. These bikes are legally considered motor vehicles (mopeds) and separate fines apply for riding on the road unregistered ($723), unlicensed ($603), uninsured ($723) and without a helmet ($362).

A Transport for NSW spokeswoman said: "It is crucial that people riding an e-bike stick to the rules. The rules are in place to keep riders, and those they share the road or path with, safe."

Mr Roach believes authorities should be cracking down on the bikes now, while they are still a fairly recent phenomenon, but adds, "the police can't cope with it, or they've got other priorities and you can't really blame them".

A spokeswoman for Wollongong Police District said residents had reported the illegal bikes in areas including Towradgi, Corrimal, Bellambi and Bulli, and inquiries into those matters "are continuing".

The spokeswoman encouraged reporting via Crime Stoppers (1800 333 000), but local police otherwise declined to be interviewed for this article.

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