Do You Need A Drivers License in Michigan to Ride an E-Bike?
This seems like a silly question. Do you need a drivers license to ride an E-Bike?
We all already have drivers a license, so what's the big deal here?
We're not talking about already licensed drivers. The question is what about kids on an E-Bike?
Saginaw television station, WNEM-TV, reported there is a bill at the Michigan Capitol that would require teens to obtain a state-issued license before riding certain electric bikes.
There are a lot of people worried about younger kids flying around on e-bikes, which can be clocked at up to 25 to 30 miles per hour, not wearing a helmet but just carrying a back pack. Yikes!
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It does seem there is a blurred line between bicycles and motorcycles. And oftentimes parents don’t know what they are buying for their children.
So, the bill, House Bill 6166, targets Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes, as well as micro-mobility devices with more than 500 watts of power or speeds over 20 miles per hour.
The thought is that riders under 18 would need to be at least 15-years of age and obtain a special restricted license through the Secretary of State to operate Class 2 or 3 e-bikes.
That's not the half of it because there's more. How many times have we seen micromobility scooters for seniors and people with disabilities buzzing along roads and sidewalks. Many, right?
The bill goes on to say "this also would cap micromobility devices, such as scooters, at 20 mph, require helmets for riders under 19, and give local governments the authority to ban high-speed devices from sidewalks, highways, streets and crosswalks."
HOW MUCH WOULD THIS COST?
The restricted license would cost $7.50. It would not require a behind-the-wheel road test, but applicants would have to prove competency to the state.
IS THERE A PENALTY?
The penalty would be stiff. "A first violation would be a civil infraction with a fine of up to $250. A violation that occurs after one or more prior judgments would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $500, or both."
We'll have to wait and see, but this could be a reality soon.
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Gallery Credit: Wendy Reed
