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California Wants to Put License Plates on E-Bikes and Slow Them Down. Cyclists Are Not Happy About It
(guessingheadlights.com)
this post was submitted on 03 May 2026
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Cars can go even faster and actually do kill thousands of people, but god fucking forbid we talk about slowing those down because we're so normalized to their violence that we're blind to it. I agree with the person you replied to, this is monumentally stupid. Give micromobility their own infrastructure, repurpose space currently given to cars. We've gotta stop pearl-clutching over sustainable progress.
Most so-called ebike deaths are actually car deaths, because the cyclist gets hit by a car
14 year old on a suron killed an 81 year old pedestrian here. The mom is being charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Cars require a license that can be taken away if the driver is a danger to society. They also drive on their own roads.
An e-bike can hit pretty high speeds and is usually ridden on pedestrian walkways. There's no license to take away, and if you don't get caught immediately, you can just go bye bye since there's no license plate.
That's why they're introducing regulations limiting unlicensed e-bikes to reasonable speeds, while more powerful e-bikes are still available if you're 18 and get a license plate. You can still ride it without any training since those don't assist you past 45 km/h either... Though personally I'm of the opinion that an ebike capable of hitting 45 km/h in 2 seconds on a pedestrian walkway should require training and a license too. Or just be banned from sidewalks.
Places that allow any sort of bike on the sidewalk are generally places that have neglected to bother with any sort of adequate biking infrastructure.
Having 3 roads in one street is easier than 5 and gives everyone more space. Separate cycling lanes where I've seen them suck. We have very wide sidewalks in lots of places and riding there is expected behavior.
But cars already require licenses and have speed limits? Now we're talking about limiting unlicensed e-bikes, whereas with a motorcycle license you could still go as fast as cars or... motorcycles.
How about we just license the ebikes according to what they're capable of like we do with cars and motorcycles?
Uhh that's what everyone's whining about here though. Not even a license requirement, a simple minimum age and license plate for high speed ebikes.
I think everyone in here is whining about slightly different things because of how many aspects there are to this discourse.
Quite possible.
Why not both
https://www.familiesforsafestreets.org/news/maryland-passes-stop-super-speeders-bill-waiting-gov-wes-moores-signature
If this like a breathalyzer that only gets installed in some people's cars, or is it going to have to be in all cars?
I like FSS, in fact I attended a few rallies of the original New York chapter, but I actually think that bill is too soft. I'd rather we get serious about straight-up revoking the privledges of people who demonstrate they can't be trusted to safely wield them. This opinion isn't limited to vehicles.
It's not an either/or proposition.
A stupid person on an ebike can cause an accident.
And they slow down cars all the time. There are speed bumps galore near me.