Why Registration is Key in the Battle for E-Bike Regulation
Why make more regulations we cannot enforce? New regulations proposed by DC Safe Streets Coalition would require that e-bikes of all kinds be registered and tagged with license plates so bikers can be identified and held accountable. Right now, bikers know there is no chance of being caught and they act accordingly. If bikers knew they could be caught, they would change their behavior with minimal involvement of police. It works with drivers. City streets are equipped with cameras. A driver who runs a light gets a ticket in the mail when he gets home. That’s a deterrent that will work on e-bikes.
The bill would also require a riders’ test to show they know the rules of the road. Insurance. Until now the discussion around insurance has been to raise auto insurance assuming a car crashes with a bike, but what if the bike hits another bike or a pedestrian? Bikers need insurance.
Why do we allow e-bikes and scooters to litter the sidewalks? DC licenses bike share to operate in the city. Are taxpayers paying for careless management?
E-bikes are not the harmless, vulnerable toys we grew up with. They are heavy and fast and silent and they are battery charged. E-bikes are more like motorcycles than bikes, and in the hands of kids they are weapons. Hospitals report a spike in injuries. With bike lanes, rebates and pilot projects DC is putting more e-bikes on the street and changing the demographic. Riders are not typically young white males commuting to work. DC policy encourages seniors and kids to ride the streets to justify more Protected Bike Lanes.
DC Safe Streets Coalition is petitioning the city for e-bike regulation because although DC is putting more of them on the streets, it has issued no warnings, precautions or safeguards and DC will not do it on its own without us. This is something we can do.
Thanks for all your efforts. Next step is endorsement by civic associations and a sponsor in the DC Council. Please share our petition and help us reach a goal of 2250 by Saturday. https://c.org/GVFzcRN8kP
Nick DelleDonne
DC Safe Streets Coalition
703 929 6656