15mph legal limit

[ITSPETEINIT]

Legal Speed Limit......

Legal Speed Limit and other hazards;

I am inclined to agree with “Phil the Drill” – a limit on power is all that is required to limit effectively the speed of an electric cycle bearing in mind that other conditions may tend to increase their speed by significant margins.
The sort of evidence required to successfully prosecute an electric cyclist for exceeding the speed limit boggles the mind (of the cyclist, the law enforcement officer and the judiciary). The gradient of the road/path, wind assistance, rider’s efforts, etc.

I am more concerned with other hazards than those posed by the police: that is to say:

I always wear a cycle helmet simply because I cannot read the future.

I have Third Party Insurance against claims against me for wanton destruction caused by my bicycle – just in case I injure an eminent QC.

Factors of chance don’t come into it – it is a matter of economics given how cheap those protections are.

Peter

 

[readingaloud]

This looked odd to me, so I checked. (Perhaps I'm suspicious when I see ANY benign or reasonable thing attributed to George W. Bush. )

Well, it's partly right. Not recently, but in 2002, there was an act that moved regulation of e-bikes from the transportation department to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (15 U.S.C. sec. 2085). This is all to the good, because it means that they're not required to have things like turn signals on them, as they might if they continued to be regulated along with motorcycles.

But, while the federal law supersedes state law with regard to the manufacture of e-bikes, the states are still allowed to regulate their use in any silly way they please. Thus, in my old home state of Minnesota, it's not legal to ride a pedelec on a bike path (Minn. Stat. Ann. sec. 169.223(5)(c)), and you're required to wear a helmet, even though cyclists and adult motorized bicycle riders are not (169.223(1)(5)).

In short, don't look to the U.S. for an enlightened regulatory regime.

I was just thinking, what would happen if I took a fast S-Flyer, which is perfectly legal in Germany (and therefore should be in all other EU countries), and would do a trip to the UK. Would I get trouble with local police? Would they confiscate the bike or even my driving licence?

I agree with Jeremy, most good street bikes can easily go faster than 20mph. Heck, with my mountainbike I once reached 45mph on a steep downhill street.
I think all these laws and restrictions, even the liberal ones in Germany, make absolutely no sense. A bicycle is a bicycle, as long as you have to pedal to get forward.

By the way, in the US president Bush just recently has signed a pedelec law:

The US Senate has passed SR 1156 clearing the way for legal definition of an electric bicycle in the USA. President Bush has signed this law. The new law will assign the governance of electric bicycles to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and will define a bicycle that has two pedals (and is capable of being propelled by those pedals) and an electric motor of no more than 750 watts, a top speed (on motor only) of 20 mph as a "bicycle"

Sounds pretty liberal to me.

Patrick

 

[flecc]

Thanks readingaloud, so it hasn't really changed then, since the precedence of restrictive State law was what I was already familiar with.
.

 

[Andy Day]

Compare our worrys to this offering!

Seen currently for sale on an internet auction site.

It obviously would need to conform to the construction and use regulations, which it clearly doesn't, be registered, taxed and insured as a motor vehicle.

I asked how I could register it and received the following reply.

"I think everybody does the switch it off and peddle it routine when there’s trouble around if you know what i mean. Keep a rear right side mirror so you can see what’s coming behind you to switch off in time.

Some say you can ride it like normal, others say you can’t; we could never get a straight answer from DVLA. That’s why we recommend you do your own investigation and reach a conclusion if you decide to use it on road as you will ultimately be responsible.

Mind you in many other countries like America in most states a gas motorised bicycle has the same rights as a bicycle, this means no license no reg and tax required.

Even in Europe under the European specification light moped not reg, tax or insurance is required I’m told.

Many people do use them for private off road fun too and in this context the legality becomes irrelevant.

Don’t hesitate to contact me if i can be of any further assistance.

Hope that’s helped. "

And we are concerned about a matter of a few Watts equating to a few miles an hour? We all know the police can't enforce 9/10ths of the legislation thay are presented with and can't understand. I obey the law, but sometimes I do wonder why, when every other idiot seems to get away with it!

Picture attached.

 

[fishingpaul]

A lot of people say they obey the law,does that mean you have never exceeded the 30mph speed limit in a car,or never done over 70mph on the motorway,most people exceed these speeds daily,yet question 19mph on an electric bike.

 

[keithhazel]

Seen currently for sale on an internet auction site.

It obviously would need to conform to the construction and use regulations, which it clearly doesn't, be registered, taxed and insured as a motor vehicle.

I asked how I could register it and received the following reply.

"I think everybody does the switch it off and peddle it routine when there’s trouble around if you know what i mean. Keep a rear right side mirror so you can see what’s coming behind you to switch off in time.

Some say you can ride it like normal, others say you can’t; we could never get a straight answer from DVLA. That’s why we recommend you do your own investigation and reach a conclusion if you decide to use it on road as you will ultimately be responsible.

Mind you in many other countries like America in most states a gas motorised bicycle has the same rights as a bicycle, this means no license no reg and tax required.

Even in Europe under the European specification light moped not reg, tax or insurance is required I’m told.

Many people do use them for private off road fun too and in this context the legality becomes irrelevant.

Don’t hesitate to contact me if i can be of any further assistance.

Hope that’s helped. "

And we are concerned about a matter of a few Watts equating to a few miles an hour? We all know the police can't enforce 9/10ths of the legislation thay are presented with and can't understand. I obey the law, but sometimes I do wonder why, when every other idiot seems to get away with it!

Picture attached.

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i have seen these on e-bay for a long while and two things come to mind...of course you have to advise all, you are riding a motorised vehicle now and have to insure, tax, mot and all what you do with a engine based vehicle..
the thing that puts me off the most about these is the chain without any sort of cover...can you imagine the possibilities of what you may get caught in the chain....