Post #2205239

2026-05-03 22:41 UTC

They already have limits to 28mph/45kmh for ebicycles. If they go above that then they should require a license. Illinois's Senate agreed on a bill that now needs considering in the house for ebikes that exceed that, requires registration, and additionally puts age limits on them. That seems reasonable. Changing the existing laws to be more restrictive beyond that is unnecessary. We don't need more fragmentation of rules between state(in US) and probably countries where applicable.

Replies (1)

@NateNate60@lemmy.world 2026-05-04 00:01

45 km/h is still freakishly fast for all but professional cyclists. I do not agree that more restrictions are unnecessary. A simple, paperwork-minimal registration scheme would allow proper accountability for reckless bicycle-riding (which is uncommon but still happens) and would deter theft, especially since e-bikes cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, pounds, or euros. The problem with fast e-bikes (especially those which can accelerate without pedalling) is that they let anyone's grandmother reach the speeds of professionals without actually *being* an experienced cyclist. Ideally, there should be three levels: 1. Bicycles and low-speed e-bikes, where registration is not required 2. Moderate-speed e-bikes which can accelerate without the use of the pedals, where minimal registration formalities are required (namely, affixing a registration plate that comes with the bike along with registering an owner online). The registration process should be free of charge, one-off, and should not take more than 5 minutes to complete. I am against requiring anything which resembles a driving licence for these e-bikes. 3. High-speed e-bikes and motorcycles, where ordinary vehicle registration, motorcycle licences, and inspections are required. In the United States, we have a tool to deal with fragmentation in state laws: [uniform acts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_act).

Open ##2205241