Rep. Tom Dippel presents HF 3785 to the House Ways and Means Committee April 20. The bill would regulate motorized bicycles. (Photo by Andrew VonBank)
What hit Janet Stotko?
That’s been a controversy among law enforcement, insurance companies and advocacy organizations focused on bicycles and motorcycles.
What’s known is that Stotko was out for a walk in Hastings one evening last summer when she was struck from behind by a vehicle on the sidewalk going an estimated 25 mph. She suffered a traumatic brain injury and broken bones. The driver of the vehicle was 14 years old.
But what kind of vehicle was it? News stories called it an “e-bike,” but that turned out to be inaccurate. It was actually what those in the industry call an “e-moto,” too big to be considered a bicycle and not fitting into the current definition of a motorcycle. And there’s nothing in Minnesota statute regarding regulations on an “e-moto.”
Sponsored by Rep. Tom Dippel (R-Cottage Grove), HF3785 would categorize these vehicles as electric motorcycles and regulate them in much the same way as motorcycles with combustion engines.
On Monday, the House Ways and Means Committee approved the bill, as amended, and sent it to the House Floor. Read more
