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Electric Bikes Continue to Struggle Finding Their Place
By:
Deutschmann Personal Injury & Disability Law (Lawyers)
| Published 02/09/2014
The City of Toronto has chosen to ban e-bikes from their bicycle lanes after lengthy discussion. It was an interesting move that went contrary to their own staff recommendations. Bikes are becoming far more popular than in the past. They don't require special licencing. They can vary from little pedal assist bikes with a small motor to scooter like bikes that can travel up to 32 km/h.
E-bike riders would rather be in the bike lanes because they are afraid to mix with the cars and trucks on the road, ironically traditional bike riders argue that having the e-bikes with their increased speed is dangerous in the bike lanes. E-bikes seem to fall into a category of their own as they aren't bicycles, but they aren't exactly motor vehicles.
Since they weigh much more than regular bikes and travel much faster they have become a problem in bicycle accidents and accidents with pedestrians. The pressure to deal with their place on the road will continue as more and more people ride them.
