Registering and Insurance

Chaz12

1 mW
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
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15
So does anyone have to register a e bike or e scooter, or insure them. Just curious on what your City or State rules are. In some States they consider e bikes or e scooter a thing operated by human power thus still the rider is a pedestrian to the laws. Others look at the Watt issue, like 750 Watts and travels no faster than 20 MPH a bicycle still. My scooter was purchased yesterday, added bicycle lights and turn signals and horn. Still the City of Belle considers it a motor vehicle thus lights apply, registration with city and insurance must be carried. It is a adult razor scooter, a toy still.
 

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Depends on where you are and what you ride, and how your locality legally defines it, etc.

Theres some threads in these three lists

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/search.php?keywords=insur*&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=titleonly&sr=topics&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/search.php?keywords=regist*&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=titleonly&sr=topics&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=topics&keywords=law*+-*mower*+-*mower+-mower*+-lawnmower+-lawn+-lawnmowing&sf=titleonly

that have info on various areas, if it helps. Not everything in either list is relevant, but the titles should make it obvious which might be.
 
The fact that it has no pedals might be the deciding factor, regardless of how much power/top speed it has.

I don't know what the laws are where you live, but here even if it's considered a bicycle (ebike within power limits and equipped with pedals) you are NOT considered a pedestrian under the law. You are not entitled to ride on the sidewalk, you must obey all traffic laws.

But you don't require registration or insurance, as long as your bike falls under the power/speed regulations.

IMHO fast moving things (non powered included) sharing space with pedestrians is far more dangerous than having them on the road, because people aren't looking for fast moving vehicles on the sidewalk.

I've never been pulled over on my ebike, and I ride every day, about 1000km a month for the last 2+ years. My bike exceeds the power regulations by a factor of about 3, and I'm almost always exceeding the 32kph limit.

I see people get pulled over on regular unpowered bikes quite often, for doing stupid things like riding the wrong way down the sidewalk, against traffic in the bike lane, cutting across intersections from the bike lane to make a left turn, etc.

Cops here seem more interested in actual safety than enforcing arbitrary laws regarding motor power and speed. But your mileage may vary.
 
For sure depends on where you live.

In California, a 750W scooter is treated the same as a Class 2 ebike and no insurance or registration is required.
 
I for one prefer being allowed to ride on the sidewalks in high traffic areas. We keep our speed down to around 8-10 mph when line of sight permits, and when a pedestrian approaches we slow down even further - and possibly stop to allow them to pass. If they are walking a dog I will often stop and allow them to walk past us. I think this is the safe for everyone and it is also polite. I give pedestrians and dogs the right of way and the benefit of the doubt. If the streets are not busy or the sidewalks are busy then we ride in the road.
 
Has anyone had to register a electric scooter or been required to have proof of insurance? As soon as I got the scooter, well it had no lights or reflectors. So I put them on. The City said, I need lights, a flag, slow moving vehicle sign, a Drivers License, a Registration Sticker, and Proof of Insurance. That seemed like an awful lot of things to ride on a public street. Most States don't require nothing. It is looked at as a toy and thus the rider is considered a pedestrian. So anyhow, the City of Belle, required this, but I got to thinking on the legality of this since being handicapped from a stroke. Can't ride a regular bicycle due to the spasticity in my right leg. Spasticity makes my leg jump from movement and thus crash. Or and leg hits bar and bruised up leg. So I wrote to the ADA on mobility devices and posed the question is it legal for a City to require a Drivers License on a mobility device. Also to register it like a ATV or UTV. Or require insurance on a mobility device. Too me, it does not seem right, since the City is to give reasonable accommodation to the disabled on mobility devices. And the City is not. So see what they have to say about it.
 

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If you have a Disabled placard displayed on the back of the scooter and are sitting on the seat while riding you'd think you'd be left alone, it's not like you're a 15 yr old kid ripping around hopping curbs and buzzing old ladies on the sidewalk.

My guess is if you had a legal aid attorney or other attorney write a certified letter to the city for clarification they'd back off real quick.
 
Your device is the exact same thing as one of these
http://www.nationwidemobility.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/deluxe.jpg

You have grounds for a discrimination lawsuit!
 
Yes, the thought of reasonable accommodation comes to mind, when considering this. See, there are disabled people, that ride Segways today. They must be given reasonable accommodation, even if they can walk a short distance. Read the ADA law. As the electronic devices become more technical, the devices of transportation will increase.Like I can ride a 250cc scooter because my right leg does not have spasticity sitting still. So I knew I could operated an electric scooter, before purchasing it, due to riding a 250cc scooter/ motorcycle. But one place pedals in the mix and I become spa tic and hit leg against bar and foot slips off pedal causing a crash. Knee area jerks violently until relaxing leg muscles. Our rules in Missouri, is the electric bicycle is classified as a motorized bicycle still. So a 49cc scooter is classified as a motorized bicycle, does not require insurance nor registration but requires a drivers license to operate it. A electric bike is in the same catagory. This electric scooter is made by Razor with 500 Watt motor and does a top speed of 18 MPH. A e bike is to the government up to 750 Watts and goes no faster than 20 MPH on motor power. So the scooter is within that standards of the e bike qualifications. It cost $370 over Walmart Online store. Now people have more enjoyment out of a bicycle than just the exercise. Some enjoy the scenery, some enjoy site seeing, some use to commute. Well, since I could not enjoy a e bike or bicycle, my purpose of buying a e scooter was to ride like a bicycle.since still have spasticity. But if had pedals would do me no good. The ADA says reasonable accommodation must be given to people with disabilities. In my case, it is reasonable to consider a e scooter over a e bike. Is it my only source of transportation. No, but I don't think that would matter to the ADA. See, we also have a Missouri trail coming through Belle MO. This will be run by Missouri State Parks and they only allow bicycles on the trail. Well, they made a reasonable accommodation for me on the e scooter, because it is like a bicycle with no pedals. So they emailed me and said it was OK. So I can't see why the City of Belle could not figure this out. Said, I would get a ticket for riding the e scooter on the streets with no registration and insurance. Since the State of Missouri does not require this, neither should the City. The had me register it like a ATV or UTV which is a off road vehicle only. The thought of having to registering it and having insurance, does not set well with me. If used as a bicycle under ADA rules, it is a electrical device and therefore, the City should say nothing on registration or insurance. That would violate my civil rights. And most stroke patients can't operate a 250cc scooter or e scooter, most get depressed and sit in isolation. Since I had a severe stroke at age 16, well 37 years later, I still enjoy doing things young people do. 53 today. The ADA says, the electric device has the right to go anywhere that the public goes. So in that case, that would be violating my civil rights.
 
First Mistake: "Still the City of Belle considers it a motor vehicle thus lights apply, registration with city and insurance must be carried"... Asking any "civic employee" or "politicians": "Watt do YOU think?" "Watt do the "laws" say?" :lol: Rolling around on power-assist in the years before legalization, got used to not "making a fuss". :wink:
 
A competent attorney could likely tell you right off the bat if your rights are being violated. See if you can get one on the phone for a quick question and see what they think, within a couple calls I usually can find one who will hear my problem and give me their opinion on if they think the situation is a waste of time or what.

One of my former girlfriends is an attorney who specializes in ADA act suits against municipalities and other government entities, I've seen how tort claims on these matters can get very costly for defendants when there is a provable violation of someone's rights.

http://www.dashtaki.com/lawyer-attorney-discrimination/disability-ada/
 
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