Total e-bike ban after a fatality in Key Biscayne, FLA

Gionnirocket said:
I think it would be hard won since she wasn't wearing a helmet.
I've been curious as to the actual details of the accident as that's never been made public... and then what happened at the end of the 60 day ban?

I concur... But I wouldn't want a bike without a throttle and I don't want to be punished for the acts of a yahoo, decisions of yahoo parents or any other affiliated yahoos.
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But I'd bet you would chug a cool refreshing yahoo!
 
Gionnirocket said:
I'm not focused on her not wearing a helmet.. but it is a fact.
Additionally that there is absolutely no description of the sequence of events which lead up to the accident I find disturbing and is no small detail. Everyone is making assumptions and I find that gross.
Sorry.. but I don't consider new laws, law suits or other actions until I know the fact.
As for the yahoos, I'll be the first to call them out. But as stated before I'm not willing to give up my rights to idiot proof the world.
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the lack of detail would sort of place the blame in her court,would almost bet the kid was keeping a straight line,there is a trend that certain groups feel more entitled esp' in gated communities,its a fact kids will be kids,perhaps a restriction on younguns riding those things,whats next mobility scooters?
 
kevinmccune said:
the lack of detail would sort of place the blame in her court,would almost bet the kid was keeping a straight line,there is a trend that certain groups feel more entitled esp' in gated communities,its a fact kids will be kids,perhaps a restriction on younguns riding those things,whats next mobility scooters?
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Yes one could draw that conclusion... but again I'm trying to avoid assumptions.
They've got a problem on their hands no doubt... But they also have some blame to bear as these wheels are being purchased by the parents in the community.
All I'm saying is a little common sense parenting, discipline and perhaps confiscating a few bikes when reckless behavior is observed would go a long way. In the day of dash and body cam, it shouldn't be that hard to enforce.
No need to pass restrictions on all or bring lawsuits against a company that has no control on how their product is misused.
 
It's very likely this kid (from Key Biscayne, FL) wasn't going faster than 20mph (throtte assist Class 2) when this accident occurred. Such an ebike serious collision could happen even at 12-15mph in an urban setting.

Even if the ebike is considered Class 1 or Class 2 (20mph) the parent(s) still bare some responsibility. When it results in a serious injury that could happen at only 12-15mph (e,g, to an elderly woman knocked down resulting in a sprained wrist, broken hip and/or head/brain injury). The guilty party is the young rider that didn't have his ebike under control considering the existing urban conditions. How many ebike stores or parents even take the time to go over responsible urban ebiking with their young teenage son ?

thefloridabikeguy.com

Are You Up to Speed on the E-Bike Law in Florida? - Bicycle Accident Lawyer | The Florida Bike Guy

Is there an e-bike law in Florida? Yes. Florida has joined a number of other states in defining what an e-bike or electric bike actually is: it’s a bicycle. And so it has the same rights and responsibilities as a traditional bicycle. 2021 E-Bike Law in Florida But Florida in 2021 has adopted a...
thefloridabikeguy.com thefloridabikeguy.com
 
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"We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken,
society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker,
It is time to restore the American precept,
that each individual is accountable for their actions."
 
From the article it sounds like he was showing off to some friends. It's true that the only difference between some men and some boys is the price of their toys ($22,000 v $4,000).

He's considering a lawsuit as it's not his fault as much as it's the manufacturer and seller.
1718230668312.png

He broke three vertebrae after being upended (a wheelie) the first time he used the bike,
which has 15,000 watts of electric power.

A former employee (whistleblower) said, "It should never have been sold to Simon without
him being taught how to use it.” The BGT and X Factor boss and his team are now “weighing up” their legal options and are studying the former employee’s claims. Cowell's team say they have tried to contact the manufacturers, Wiltshire-based Swindon Powertrain, but have been “stonewalled”.

Another anonymous source at the company said, “I said to my boss, ‘Are you showing Simon how to use this?’ He said he was just dropping it off and I said, ‘Are you serious?’” Experts say a successful lawsuit could see Cowell get up to £10miilion for loss of earnings, medical bills plus pain and suffering.
 
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why? said:
From the article it sounds like he was showing off to some friends. It's true that the only difference between some men and some boys is the price of their toys ($22,000 v $4,000).

He's considering a lawsuit as it's not his fault as much as it's the manufacturer and seller.
View attachment 177434
He broke three vertebrae after being upended (a wheelie) the first time he used the bike,
which has 15,000 watts of electric power.

A former employee (whistleblower) said, "It should never have been sold to Simon without
him being taught how to use it.” The BGT and X Factor boss and his team are now “weighing up” their legal options and are studying the former employee’s claims. Cowell's team say they have tried to contact the manufacturers, Wiltshire-based Swindon Powertrain, but have been “stonewalled”.

Another anonymous source at the company said, “I said to my boss, ‘Are you showing Simon how to use this?’ He said he was just dropping it off and I said, ‘Are you serious?’” Experts say a successful lawsuit could see Cowell get up to £10miilion for loss of earnings, medical bills plus pain and suffering.
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i can almost agree,oth when i tried to get some help from lowes"( dont buy there) for medical bills and lost time when i stumbled over a camofluaged traffic stop (wasnt even painted yellow) and hyper extended my foot( double ouch) a lawyer told me you are supposed to watch where you are stepping,you cannot make everything idiot proof,i imagine simon will prevail- on the plus side when i was laid up i got read the right wing propaganda novel called"atlas shrugged" a bit later on i consider this book absolute garbage,read up on ayn rand,then say ,wtf!
 
Djangodog said:
kbindependent.org

Key Biscayne bans e-bikes and scooters - Key Biscayne Independent

This story has been updated with
kbindependent.org kbindependent.org

A 12 year old boy on an e-bike collided with a woman on a bicycle. Two days later, there is a total ban there.

Please read the entire article before commenting. It sounds to me like they are throwing the baby with the bath water.

It’s tragic that someone died, but they should investigate it further and make some logical rules, like age and class appropriate rules.
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In the early 1970’s a Minneapolis City Councilperson’s wife was struck and killed by a bicyclist while walking around the newly completed and very popular pedestrian/multi-use asphalt pathways en circulating the Minneapolis lakes.

Bicyclists were immediately banned on the path and diverted to the roadways that also en circled the lakes UNTIL a total expansion was immediately constructed — a parallel bike path all the way around all of the lakes. The City was being bike and exercise friendly.

I used to ride from Brooklyn Park to Minnehaha Falls via bike path in the 1970’s.

In the mean time, all inhabitation of Florida by humans should be banned until the Government fixes Hurricanes from causing damage.

Until then, let the ebikes flow.
 
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EagerBieber said:
The most dangerous things out there are the pelotons of professional cyclists doing 30 mph+ and swooping you on both sides. You'll see more of them there than at any race Im certain. It is wild.
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The mutation of what most in this community consider e-bikes into the thing Simon Cowell was riding is upending the public perception in a bad way, and that perception was fuzzy to begin with.

To the uninitiated John or Jane Doe, E-bikes=Speed. We know better, but to borrow the Bob Seger lyric, "it's like trying to tell a stranger 'bout rock n roll."
 
Doggyman1202 said:
The mutation of what most in this community consider e-bikes into the thing Simon Cowell was riding is upending the public perception in a bad way, and that perception was fuzzy to begin with.

To the uninitiated John or Jane Doe, E-bikes=Speed.
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Very true, perception is 9/10 of reality. So when people see an e-bike that looks like a motorcycle they think it's a motorcycle and don't bother to perceive or any differently
 
The compounding factor there is a lot of ebike advocates bristle or get wishy washy when stronger enforcement of e-motos-pretending-to-be-ebikes is proposed. Which makes it really easy to just lump those in with actual ebikes in peoples minds. I mean, I've lost count of how many times people here have basically proposed just allowing whatever ebike wherever and just add speed limits on sidewaks/trails/paths.
 
jabberwocky said:
I've lost count of how many times people here have basically proposed just allowing whatever ebike wherever and just add speed limits on sidewaks/trails/paths.
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Oddly enough it solved the problem here. A 12 mph speed limit was enacted for a crowded segment of the tourist-laden bike path. It was enforced for a short time, and enforcement was subsequently abandoned. In the years since ebike use has exploded to the point where they outnumber bicycles by a wide margin, and I have seen no city council complaints since the speed limit was put in place.

I like to think its because the real danger has always been analog commuter cyclists annoyed by the oblivious foot traffic, and further enforcement would start to focus on them, which the more established residents here who are doing it would not welcome.
 
m@Robertson said:
Oddly enough it solved the problem here. A 12 mph speed limit was enacted for a crowded segment of the tourist-laden bike path. It was enforced for a short time, and enforcement was subsequently abandoned. In the years since ebike use has exploded to the point where they outnumber bicycles by a wide margin, and I have seen no city council complaints since the speed limit was put in place.
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A couple of paths in the DC area have speed limits that have existed for longer than ebikes have really been a thing. Generally they were probably enacted more as a CYA for the managing agencies than something intended to change behavior and are completely unenforced. Thats not really what I'm talking about though, I mean people arguing that anything vaguely resembling an ebike should be allowed wherever, and if (when) conflict occurs it should be solved with speed limits and enforcement instead of saying that no, your emoto isn't an ebike and isn't appropriate here. I've always seen that as a bad-faith argument, mainly advanced by people who want to keep doing what they want rather than people interested in solving a problem. Its difficult enough to get police agencies to enforce traffic laws on roads.

m@Robertson said:
I like to think its because the real danger has always been analog commuter cyclists annoyed by the oblivious foot traffic, and further enforcement would start to focus on them, which the more established residents here who are doing it would not welcome.
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There are definitely some MUPs that just suck to cycle on at certain times because they are so heavily used by pedestrians. Mainly in urban areas. Eventually you learn to just ride the road. Especially on an ebike, if the path is that heavily used by peds than nearby roads should be fine to ride on.
 
jabberwocky said:
There are definitely some MUPs that just suck to cycle on at certain times because they are so heavily used by pedestrians. Mainly in urban areas. Eventually you learn to just ride the road. Especially on an ebike, if the path is that heavily used by peds than nearby roads should be fine to ride on.
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Thats pretty much what I do, but that literally puts me on Cannery Row in Monterey CA, which is packed with tourists both on foot and in cars. The vehicles are going 15-20 mph and the drivers are rubbernecking themselves, so speed is good but you still have clueless bozos to avoid.

Boo Hoo. If I was still in Fresno I'd be fighting 100+ degree weather. Its 55-65 here.
 
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