Washington State's new ebike laws just passed.

[MrHyak]

Even the Netherlands — arguably the most bike-centric country in the world — is having problems now with bike riders going too fast for conditions on public bikeways.

Recent years have seen a sharp rise in related death and injuries — to the point that a 20 km/h bicycle speed limit is now being tested.

Skip to 2:08 for details:

Not clear from this coverage who all deserves the credit for this trend, but irresponsibly ridden ebikes and e-motos came up more than once — especially RadRover-style fat-tire ebikes and e-motos ridden by youngsters. Also not clear that a speed limit would be enforceable there for reasons explained in the video.

We're clearly dealing with a fundamental flaw in human nature here: Combining (a) power of any kind with (b) lack of accountability for how it's used rarely turns out well. Even in a country where everybody should know better by now.

Add immaturity and lack of training and experience to the mix, and you have a recipe for exactly this disaster in micromobility.

The only way to fight this fire is to remove (a) or (b) or both from the mix. But no easy way to do either now that cheap fast ebikes and e-motos have flooded markets everywhere.

I think 20kmh is a bit slow since its about the same as 12mph. Our trail/path speed limits here in the USA are usually 15mph, about the same as 24kmh and feels very responsible. Back in the 1970's and 80's as kids we had mini bikes and any time we were caught by the police on the roads they would take our mini bikes away and make our parents come down to the station to pick them up. It seemed to work pretty good, and kids were not buzzing all over the streets and sidewalks like the ebikes are today. Back then kids could only ride pedal bikes on the streets or sidewalks, no exceptions.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Back in the 1970's and 80's as kids we had mini bikes and any time we were caught by the police on the roads they would take our mini bikes away and make our parents come down to the station to pick them up. It seemed to work pretty good, and kids were not buzzing all over the streets and sidewalks like the ebikes are today.

Seems like law enforcement had forgotten how to do that by the time the e-cycle (ebike+e-moto) explosion hit here. Now Carlsbad and adjoining SoCal beach towns are doing it with some regularity, but it may be too little, too late. Many, many kids on illegal e-cycles here now.

Wondering if the litigation climate might have something to with the seemingly complete lack of enforcement early on. Can easily see affluent parents here threatening the city with lawsuits if little Johnny's Surron gets confiscated — especially if that puts the parents back in the school drop-off and pick-up lines.