I see this all the time as well in a different area, and am really concerned about it. It was on my mind today as I was biking.
I know what you mean about there being two types of ebikes, and agree: one is basically a regular bike with assist, the other is basically a moped or motorcycle. They often look different as well, probably because of the battery size.
The problem I have is that individuals are riding the motorcycle-style ones on paths that are clearly designated as off-limits to motor vehicles for safety reasons. These are paths that see high use, with lots of pedestrians and cyclists, and the speeds that people are riding them strikes me as unsafe. They're often much faster than what someone could physically achieve without a motor. They're also often driven by older children, teenagers, or very young adults, many riding them in pairs, one driving, the other sitting behind.
If you were to step back and just consider the the moped-style ebikes for what they are, that's what they are: electric mopeds or motorcycles on a path designated for pedestrian and cycling use only.
My spouse works in rehab and has started seeing injuries from collisions involving these bikes, and they're basically the same as moped or motorcycle injuries.
I'm not sure what the solution is, because the "regular" ebikes seem just like bikes to me, and it seems strange to require a license and training for them. But it also seems unacceptable to let motorized vehicles on trails specifically meant to be free of them, because of a loophole in regulations.
For the illegal electric mopeds/motorbikes I ask myself what stops someone driving an illegal petrol moped/motorbike around without type certification/registration/licensing/insurance? Why are electric vehicles somehow able to be sold bypassing those requirements?
For the legal "electrically assisted pedal cycles" as they are called in the UK, the solution has to be police actually doing their jobs: when they see the driver of a bike with a battery & cargo casually going >= 20 mph without any effort being put into the pedals (I spot these every single day, nearly all of which are operated by Deliveroo/Just Eat/Uber Eats): Stop them! Confiscate the vehicle! Prosecute the driver for driving an unregistered, non-certified vehicle, uninsured and without a driving license!
>Why are electric vehicles somehow able to be sold bypassing those requirements?
Because they are much cheaper to produce, and overall the segment doesn't require any licensing, safety inspections, or really any "check in" to operate on the roads with the government so very difficult to enforce any rules.
>Stop them! Confiscate the vehicle! Prosecute the driver for driving an unregistered, non-certified vehicle, uninsured and without a driving license!
Easier said than done it seems because the police in my area can't barely enforce normal traffic rules on conventional bikes let alone e-bikes that go much faster.
I know what you mean about there being two types of ebikes, and agree: one is basically a regular bike with assist, the other is basically a moped or motorcycle. They often look different as well, probably because of the battery size.
The problem I have is that individuals are riding the motorcycle-style ones on paths that are clearly designated as off-limits to motor vehicles for safety reasons. These are paths that see high use, with lots of pedestrians and cyclists, and the speeds that people are riding them strikes me as unsafe. They're often much faster than what someone could physically achieve without a motor. They're also often driven by older children, teenagers, or very young adults, many riding them in pairs, one driving, the other sitting behind.
If you were to step back and just consider the the moped-style ebikes for what they are, that's what they are: electric mopeds or motorcycles on a path designated for pedestrian and cycling use only.
My spouse works in rehab and has started seeing injuries from collisions involving these bikes, and they're basically the same as moped or motorcycle injuries.
I'm not sure what the solution is, because the "regular" ebikes seem just like bikes to me, and it seems strange to require a license and training for them. But it also seems unacceptable to let motorized vehicles on trails specifically meant to be free of them, because of a loophole in regulations.