UPDATE – THE BILL HAS BEEN SIGNED BY GOVERNOR MURPHY.
Original Report:
A bill that would require all electric bikes in New Jersey to be licensed, registered and insured is now just one step away from becoming law following passage by both houses of the state Legislature, which sent it to Governor Murphy for his signature.
The bill, which is sponsored by Senate President Nick Scutari, would eliminate all e-bike classifications and redefines “motorized bicycle” to include any pedal bicycle with an electric motor that assists pedaling or can exclusively propel the bike via throttle.
Current state law includes three different categories of e-bikes, depending on how fast they can go.
Under the bill, e-bike users 17 years of age or older would be required to register a low-speed electric bicycle and have a valid basic driver’s license issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to operate a motorized bicycle. Insurance would also be required for motorized bicycles and electric motorized bicycles.
Additionally, minors under the age of 15 are prohibited from operating an e-bike or motorized bike. Anyone 15 or 16 would have to have a permit. Also included in the wide-ranging bill is a ban on riding e-bikes without reflectors between dusk and dawn.
Violators will be fined $50, but not for the first 12 months following enactment.
Governor Murphy can sign the bill until he leaves office on January 20th.
About time!
Finally! i know people that went to the hospital because of the young children riding the motorized vehicles – and there was no one to talk to.
They went to the hospital and there was no one to talk to? How is that possible? Where was everybody?
It’s about time
Whoever thought of this will cause major problems for Lakewood. Many boys use E- bikes as means for transportation to a school
Yes exactly! Speaking as a yeshiva Bucher myself my ebike is my only reliable mode of transportation that I don’t have to rely on someone else for and my regular bike grew old rusty and very inconvenient a while ago already
What’s a Yeshiva Bucher doing on TLS??? (And aren’t you supposed to be in Yeshiva now?)
seriously that’s what your worried about? Fact is what’s e bikes made for if not teenagers there are still too young or don’t have license yet?
If you can ride a bike, you can get a license
I don’t know why people cannot see that this is just and simply just a cash grab simple, they couldn’t wait to do this, but everyone isn’t rich or have high paying jobs or careers to afford such Extra high Monthly and Yearly bills tacked on to them because some parents got their children very fast Ebike’s and did not make sure they actually knew how to ride carefully, this only makes sense for children and young adults not Actual Adults that know how to drive on the road carefully without getting into any accidents smh.
Adults on E-bikes and E-scooters are maniacs on the road. Most need to be locked up for the dangerous way they ride and manuever these machines. Both on the streets and the sidewalks.
If you can ride an ebike then just ride a bike. It’s not hard.
e-bikes are easier tho peddle
Thanks. Now my four year old can get a license.
No I can’t because I’m too young to get a license
Walk. It’s good for your health. Or replace your old school bike. It’s cheaper in cost, cheaper to maintain. And most important a much safer method of transportation.
There used to be something called a bicycle that didn’t have a motor and back in the day every teenager use that as a reasonable reliable means of transportation. In all sorts of weather.
It wouldn’t be such a bad idea of both safety and health wise to get a little exercising on your way to school or wherever else you’re going instead of relying on a battery powered bike.
Then get them registered abs teach them how to not be a menace with them.
Too bad. Don’t care. More interested in my own safety driving
They can get a scooter instead. I hate those too
More regulations and expenses to make our lives harder and cost more.
What?!?! E-bikes should be illegal to the only age group that actually rides them because some people get injured from it?!?! If that’s the case then cars or any other mode of transportation should be illegal because everyone knows people that went through the hospital because of it
if someone gets hit by a car, the driver of the car is responsible. There is insurance to cover the expenses of going to the hospital. With e-bikes, there is no accountability.
Forget the insurance that’s not the point when you get injured by a car and are in the hospital yes of course it helps but fact is your badly injured
How old are you, חכם?
and yes, insurance IS a point
When rates are affected by at-fault insurance claims, the 5-hour class, etc
When you grow up you’ll understand.
How about an electric scooter?
Same.
Time to move to ey. Bus pass 160s a month unlimited.
Is this why you yearn for Mashiach? 😃
What about electric scooters that go 18+ mph? Those are what are injuring the kids. Also, how does this affect DUIs? Can you now get a DUI riding one of these over the legal limits? That’ll be interesting.
It’s about time
Also stipulate no driving on the sidewalk
please dont pass the bill
The main problem is when these kids are careless and don’t look where they are going weaving through cars that don’t see them
which is problematic and highly dangerous
due to the amount of people that ride these thing every day it just wont work
There are alot of poor people, including those who are not in shape to pedal, that can’t afford car insurance, or a car, and this is the only way to get around. They shouldn’t make you get full auto insurance, or at least some sort of discoutned bicycle only insurance.
It’s all about the money. I’m sure the state is hoping to get a few extra dineros from this.
Old geezer here. In my day,you put one foot in front of the other and walked. Or for longer distances to yeshiva, you pedaled and got to yeshiva shvitzy and tired, all ready for a full day of limud hatorah and limudei chol…..
this aint the 18th century (“When I was a wee lad bout your age I had to trudge 5 miles through 5 feet of snow every day of winter to get to yeshiva”) you old geezer
what about people from out of state?
So who wins insurance companies obviously
I guess it’s similar to motorcycle insurance
for bucherim who don’t have license why can’t they drive e bikes why make parents drive you everywhere??
me as a parent of kids with e scooters they go to their chavrusa with it and its amazing !!