Illinois Looks to Tame Electric Bike Chaos with New Regulation Initiative
A long-overdue overhaul of Illinois' bike laws is underway, as Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced a new state initiative aimed at regulating electric bikes and other micromobility devices. The program, dubbed "Ride Safe, Ride Smart, Ride Ready," seeks to address the state's antiquated bike laws, which currently fail to account for the faster-than-usual speeds of some e-bikes.
The legislation aims to establish a more uniform framework for regulating e-bikes, including higher-powered vehicles like e-motos, unicycles, scooters, and skateboards. The proposed law maintains the existing three-class system used by 46 other states but focuses on setting stricter limits for faster-moving vehicles. Class 1 and 2 e-bikes will remain largely unchanged, with top speeds of 20 mph, while Class 3 e-bikes – which are pedal-assisted and can reach speeds of up to 28 mph – will be subject to the new regulations.
Safety is also a key component of the initiative, with Illinois experiencing a significant threefold increase in e-bike injuries between 2019 and 2022. The recent deaths of two individuals, including an administrator at Illinois State University who was killed by an e-bike rider in 2022, have highlighted the need for stronger safety measures.
"It's clear that our current system is not working," said Giannoulias. "Riders, drivers, and pedestrians are all navigating a system designed for a different era, and without action, these tragic crashes, injuries, and fatalities will continue to rise."
A new educational component of the program will teach high school students across the state about e-bike safety, while advocacy groups like Ride Illinois have welcomed the initiative as a step in the right direction. However, some critics argue that the proposed law does not go far enough, particularly with regards to regulating higher-powered vehicles.
"The common-sense approach is to distinguish between e-bikes and e-motos," said Dave Simmons, executive director of Ride Illinois. "We're pushing for legislation that doesn't add strain on law enforcement but provides a safer environment for everyone."
A long-overdue overhaul of Illinois' bike laws is underway, as Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced a new state initiative aimed at regulating electric bikes and other micromobility devices. The program, dubbed "Ride Safe, Ride Smart, Ride Ready," seeks to address the state's antiquated bike laws, which currently fail to account for the faster-than-usual speeds of some e-bikes.
The legislation aims to establish a more uniform framework for regulating e-bikes, including higher-powered vehicles like e-motos, unicycles, scooters, and skateboards. The proposed law maintains the existing three-class system used by 46 other states but focuses on setting stricter limits for faster-moving vehicles. Class 1 and 2 e-bikes will remain largely unchanged, with top speeds of 20 mph, while Class 3 e-bikes – which are pedal-assisted and can reach speeds of up to 28 mph – will be subject to the new regulations.
Safety is also a key component of the initiative, with Illinois experiencing a significant threefold increase in e-bike injuries between 2019 and 2022. The recent deaths of two individuals, including an administrator at Illinois State University who was killed by an e-bike rider in 2022, have highlighted the need for stronger safety measures.
"It's clear that our current system is not working," said Giannoulias. "Riders, drivers, and pedestrians are all navigating a system designed for a different era, and without action, these tragic crashes, injuries, and fatalities will continue to rise."
A new educational component of the program will teach high school students across the state about e-bike safety, while advocacy groups like Ride Illinois have welcomed the initiative as a step in the right direction. However, some critics argue that the proposed law does not go far enough, particularly with regards to regulating higher-powered vehicles.
"The common-sense approach is to distinguish between e-bikes and e-motos," said Dave Simmons, executive director of Ride Illinois. "We're pushing for legislation that doesn't add strain on law enforcement but provides a safer environment for everyone."
just heard about this new reg initiative in illinois... sounds like they're finally trying to catch up with the times 
e-bikes are gonna get some rules, but what about those crazy e-motos? 
people already getting hurt on these things and now we gotta have an ed component to teach high school kids how to ride them without crashing 
meanwhile, illinois is still dealing with like 3x more e-bike injuries than other states... that's just wild 
these electric bike laws need a major overhaul ASAP! Threefold increase in e-bike injuries is wild 
. They should totally set stricter limits for those high-powered vehicles, it's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt 
. Glad to see Illinois taking steps towards safety though, educational components for high school students is a solid move 
Back in my day, we had bicycles and that was it. No fancy e-bikes zooming around like rockets, causing chaos on our streets. I mean, I've seen some crazy stuff on the roads with those things - people flying down the sidewalk, not even bothering to follow the rules... 
They're basically just asking for trouble. I remember seeing those things at the mall, and it was like, "What's next? Laser guns on bicycles?" 
like isnt this basic safety stuff we've been talking about online for years? anyway, i think its cool they're finally making some changes, idg af what the class distinction is as long as its safer for ppl on bikes & pedestrians 
! With all the chaos out there, it's about time we get some common sense laws in place. I mean, who wants to ride around with a 28mph e-bike without proper safety measures? 
The threefold increase in e-bike injuries is crazy – we gotta do better than that 
. I'm all for the new educational component, getting high school students educated about e-bike safety is a great idea 
. It's time to get smart about this micromobility thing 
#EbikeRegulation #SafetyFirst #RideSmart
. Fingers crossed this initiative actually works and we see fewer accidents on Illinois roads 
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it's crazy how many lives r at risk every year due to outdated laws. according to stats from the CDC (2022), there was a 3x increase in e-bike injuries between 2019-2022 
. also, did u know that 46 states already have stricter regulations for e-bikes? 
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. And those deaths? Unacceptable 
. We need stricter limits on Class 3 e-bikes and more education for riders & drivers about safety 
. I'm all for it, but also a lil' concerned that some ppl think the law doesn't go far enough 
. E-motos are getting more popular, tho 
! We need to get on top of this ASAP 
. Ride Illinois is doing the right thing by advocating for safer roads 
. It's always better to be safe than sorry, right? And I'm glad advocacy groups are on board with this initiative 
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. Too many dangers out there, and it's not just about the electric bikes 
. It's crazy to think about how many people are getting hurt because of outdated laws. Those numbers of injuries tripling between 2019 and 2022? Yikes, that's just heartbreaking 
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