OPINION — I am a fan of e-bikes. As an owner myself, I see them as a wonderful addition to our community — offering a green way to commute, get exercise and enjoy the polluted Arizona air. However, as the technology evolves, I’m witnessing a growing public safety crisis on our streets.
Lately, I’ve seen riders — many well under the legal driving age — weaving through traffic and speeding down residential roads at speeds exceeding 30 or 40 MPH. I’ve watched kids without helmets blow through stop signs, pop wheelies on crowded sidewalks and endanger both themselves and pedestrians.
We have driving-age restrictions for a reason: a 12-year-old lacks the cognitive maturity to operate what is, for all intents and purposes, a motor vehicle. At high speeds, an e-bike is no longer a “bike,” it is a motorcycle that is nearly invisible to licensed drivers.
