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by bombcar 308 days ago
We shouldn't call them e-bikes and e-scooters anymore. They're just motorbikes and mopeds, even if battery powered.

They shouldn't be allowed on "bike speed" paths, and they should require mandated licensing and insurance.

BUT it should be noted that the speeds involved in THIS crash were easily obtainable on a "normal" bike - I've hit 15 MPH on the flat quite easily, and downhill you can get much faster.

2 comments

To be fair, an e-bike/e-scooter that adheres to regulations in some european countries already effectively are regulated in the same manner. They are usually treated like mopeds in germany (speed limits, a car drivers license for some e-bikes that can go faster than 25 km/h).

It is still a bit messy as e-scooters appear to easily lend themselves to reckless driving (multiple people on one scooter, lack of control compared to bicycle, lack of natural limit on the ability to always go full throttle). E-Bikes are a bit better but they ime tend to be driven by less experienced/capable riders (a lot of seniors/tourists seem to use them).

The real problem is that she was drunk to begin with, people who don't care about using vehicles while being drunk won't care about any of what you listed either.
Sure - and rental bikes and scooters can mandate breathalyzers.

Nobody wants to have the discussion that perhaps bars shouldn't exist at all.

I'm not sure, I feel like in most peoples mind these scooters are just funny electric bicycles and not motor vehicles.

Most people don't wear a helmet when driving these but then lecture their kids to wear one on a bicycle.