Tag: motorized bicycle

There is no e-bike speed limit

The standard three class electric bicycle definition was enshrined into ARS in 2018. There is no explicit speed limit for electric bicycles; but unfortunately, the mention of 20/28mph in the definitions has led some to mistakenly believe there is, in effect, and e-bike speed limit.

This is not the case. Where an electric bicycle meets a class definition, it may be operated at any speed; so long as it meets Arizona’s “basic speed rule” which typically boils down to no faster than reasonable and prudent. You are probably aware that bicycles routinely go faster than 20 or 28mph! Electric bicycles are bicycles. Continue reading “There is no e-bike speed limit”

More about more about ebike crash reporting

I was invited to attend a meeting 2/23/2026 pulled together by Kerry Wilcoxson (ADOT State Safety Engineer) where he invited folks from Arizona DHS (Dept of Health Services) as well as some other interested parties.

The topic being e-bikes and crash reporting. Which is of course getting all sorts of (mostly negative) attention, for understandable reasons. But the truth is we have very little data to go on… Continue reading “More about more about ebike crash reporting”

More about e-bike crash reporting; and What’s going on in Maricopa?

(referring to the City of Maricopa. Which confusingly is split across Maricopa an Pinal Counties).

2026-02-03 ~ 8am Juvenile avoids serious injury after being struck on busy Porter Road:

Maricopa police responded to a vehicle-versus-pedestrian collision involving a juvenile riding an electric bike on Porter Road on Tuesday morning. The incident occurred at approximately 8 a.m. near the intersection of Porter Road and Alan Steven Parkway, according to the Maricopa Police Department. This intersection is near both Sequoia Pathway and Leading Edge Charter schools…
Police said the child was riding the electric bike against the flow of traffic when they attempted to cross the roadway and were struck by a vehicle making a right turn at low speed.
The juvenile sustained minor bumps and scrapes. A parent declined medical transport at the scene, police said…
No citations were issued in this morning’s incident.

This is a reminder to check crash records, and wonder if it was actually an electric bicycle as defined (e.g. a class 1, 2, 3) or rather a motorcycle with an electric motor (like the popular Surron, Talaria, etc), that are effectively illegal. There’s a lot of sloppy language floating around. It’s not completely clear if police will file a crash report as it may be below the reporting threshold, so we’ll just have to wait and see. Continue reading “More about e-bike crash reporting; and What’s going on in Maricopa?”

Glendale passes ebike ordinance

Ug. So many words in this new ordinance O25-50. Read the whole thing here.

It makes bike lane use mandatory for ebicyclists, with exceptions; assuming the exceptions are well thought out — and I’m not sure they are — this isn’t necessarily a problem. But most troublesome is adding an impeding rule: Continue reading “Glendale passes ebike ordinance”

Phoenix changes ebike law (yes, again)

e-bike?

UPDATE: council passed yet more rule changes. Dec 2024. Ordinance G-7334, sets a new minimum age for ebikes/scooters.
Class 3 remains banned city-wide.  See details here.

The city continues to refuse to deal with things like the motorized play vehicle ordinance which bans, e.g. those little battery powered toys that you’ll see toddlers using. It also (according to the city) effectively bans motorized gas powered bicycles city-wide. Continue reading “Phoenix changes ebike law (yes, again)”

Teenage e-bicyclist killed in Tucson crash

7/26/2022 ~ 830am. Fatal collision between an e-bicyclist and heavy truck, along E 22nd St near Pantano, Tucson. According to the police/news report the cyclist was headed westbound in the eastbound bike lane when he collided with a semi-truck emerging from a private drive. Continue reading “Teenage e-bicyclist killed in Tucson crash”

HIT RUN ALERT: red 2-door, 12th St near AZ Canal, Phx

UPDATE: a newer version of the KTAR story says police believe the suspect vehicle is an older Porsche, red 2-door.

Friday 1/14/2021 ~ 1:30AM. A man riding an electric bicycle 12th St near the Arizona Canal, Phoenix and was struck after falling in the street. The criminal driver fled eastbound on Wagon Wheel dr, police say the suspect vehicle is a red 2-door (sedan, i guess?)

Drivers who flee are usually impaired; driver Alexandra Mendez was arrested last week in connection with the killing of a Chris Owan near Luke AFB before Christmas.

Also note that electric bikes riders are classified as “drivers” (and not bicyclists/pedalcyclists) for statistical purposes.

Continue reading “HIT RUN ALERT: red 2-door, 12th St near AZ Canal, Phx”

hit and run in East Mesa; driver arrested

2/15/2021 ~ 4PM. Driver was sb on 98th St at Broadway Rd and failed to yield at a stop sign to a motorized bicyclist wb along Broadway. The motorized bicyclist sustained life-threatening injuries. The driver fled the scene, a neighbor recognized the car, and MSCO deputies made an arrest. Continue reading “hit and run in East Mesa; driver arrested”

Is this an e-bike?

Motrino XMr w/pedals attached

A rider near Vancouver, British Columbia was ticketed for operating his device without insurance and driver’s license. The rider claimed his device was a “Motor Assisted Cycle”, as defined in their traffic codes, while police said otherwise. A trial judge went with the police’s interpretation; and an appeal to the BC’s supreme court failed.

Continue reading “Is this an e-bike?”

Phx: man killed in motorized bicycle collision on Buckeye

6/4/2019 Tues morning

The new report says that police say moto-bicyclist Johnny Lee Nero was SB on 16th Ave and collided with a westbound driver on Buckeye after the moto-bicyclist failed to yield at the intersection.

Note that persons riding a motorized bicycle are NOT bicyclists; they are categorized statistically as drivers of a motor vehicle (moped or motorcycle).

 

Continue reading “Phx: man killed in motorized bicycle collision on Buckeye”

Motorized bicycles, Ebikes and crash reporting

[UPDATE: it seems quite possible something changed after 2020? see comment and stats]
[UPDATE: Something DEFINITELY changed as of FARS 2022; see below]

Executive Summary

  • People riding motorized bicycles are categorized as DRIVERS, and not as bicyclists, for crash reporting purposes.
  • How will Ebike crashes be reported?
  • new wildcard: what about escooter crashes?

Each of these has the potential to skew crash reporting statistics. Motorized bicycles have not seen wide use, but ebikes are expected to become much more common

I propose adding a few new “Body Style” definitions: 1) bicycle (well, pedalcycle), 2) motorized bicycle, 3) ebike; this would not require any changes to the Arizona Crash Forms, simply an update to the Crash Form Instruction Manual.

It is expected that ebikes will see large growth in use in the coming years; e.g, the WSJ reported: Continue reading “Motorized bicycles, Ebikes and crash reporting”

Ebike bill rides again

In 2018, Arizona passed e-bike legislation, adopting the model legislation promoted by the industry. Quick reference, as enacted:

 

[Update — It’s all passed and signed as of 5/16/2018… see below ]
Late in this legislative season (53 2nd regular), an ebike bill has once again surfaced from Rep Worsley; this time as a “striker” in the former dark sky lighting special plates bill HB2266.

The bill is suddenly, as is always the case I guess with strikers, being heard, scheduled for 3/20/2018 in the senate where it passed unanimously… Continue reading “Ebike bill rides again”

Arizona e-bike model municipal law

ca-e-bike-cropped[UPDATE: spring 2018 in AZ State legislature, HB2652, has PASSED; how this relates to local laws isn’t completely clear to me]

This is not coincidentally  similar to legislation passed in California in 2015, and pushed by People For Bikes along with the e-bike industry, so start there. I say similar because it’s odd it doesn’t follow the class 1/2/3 in the CA (and as of Aug 2018 the AZ law?)

Electric bikes fall under the category of what Arizona calls a Motorized Bicycle at the state level. There are a number of gotchas involved, which have been copiously documented on these pages, e.g. start here. The main gotcha is illustrated below about unwittingly needing a drivers license, insurance and registration.

No municipality can fix these gotchas, they can only be addressed by the state legislature. I can only speculate the idea is for Tempe (or whoever; there is similar effort for MAG to recommend/adopt model regulations) to adopt rules that would in effect only kick in when the state “fixes” the state statutes. Continue reading “Arizona e-bike model municipal law”

Motorized Bicycle bill seeks to clarify engine power

[Update as of 2/23/2013, HB2177 has not been assigned to any committee which I imagine means it is dead]

It’s the start of a new legislative season in Arizona, the 51st Regular session, for those keeping track. (find other bills of interest with the legislation tag) Continue reading “Motorized Bicycle bill seeks to clarify engine power”