Decatur, IL (WAND) – A new state law regulating e-bikes, e-scooters and similar devices is set to take effect Jan. 1, giving local police departments rules to enforce for devices that previously had little to no regulation.
Gov. JB Pritzker signed the bill into law last week.
Decatur Police Chief Brad Allen said the use of e-bikes and e-scooters is increasing, and the technology behind the equipment is getting faster. He said more people are using the devices as transportation, not just for recreation.
“Really, it is just the state legislature coming out with clarity on the bikes, the classifications, who can ride and who can’t ride them, and how they can be used,” Allen said. “It’s not outlawing the bikes by any means or outlawing the scooters, but it’s putting some safety measures in place and some clarity on what’s going to be expected.”
Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler said his department has seen an increase in calls related to e-bikes over the last couple of years. But without regulations, there was not much officers could do.
“We had nothing that we [could] really do about that at the time,” Wheeler said. “Now, it’s just going to be like driving a car. So then we’ll start issuing citations.”
Both Allen and Wheeler said officers are currently in an education phase, speaking with riders on sidewalks and around town.
Allen said people interested in buying the equipment need to look at what they are purchasing and its purpose, then check where it falls under the statute because of age requirements.
While Senate Bill 3484 is extensive, here are some key changes to note.
Low-speed electric bicycle operators must be 18-years-old or older to have a passenger. High-speed electric bicycles and e-motorcycles now require driver’s licenses, titles, registration, and insurance. Neither can travel on sidewalks, bike lanes, or bike paths.
Anyone driving an electric unicycle, skateboard, or scooter needs to be over the age of 16. These also have speed limit restrictions on sidewalks and other types of roadways.
For an easy-to-read breakdown of some of the changes, check out this page from the Illinois Secretary of State’s website. The full text of the law is available on the General Assembly’s website.
Allen said people interested in buying the equipment need to look at what they are purchasing and its purpose, then check where it falls under the statute because of age requirements. Wheeler said they’ve already had conversations with parents about what devices are allowed for what ages.
“A scooter you buy at Walmart and pedal around the neighborhood, you can do that at ten years old,” Wheeler said. “But when you have these e-bikes that the parents buy and the kids are 12 or 13 years old, we’ll stop them. We have to educate the parents to say they cannot ride that bike until they are 16-years-old.”
Once the law takes effect Jan. 1, police can cite operators who do not follow the rules.
“We’ve got a couple months now to get the public informed and get some education out,” Allen said. “As the fall continues and we towards the beginning of next year, we’ll put out some information from the police department so that our community and the public know some of the law changes and what to expect.”
