this post was submitted on 06 Aug 2026
22 points (100.0% liked)

Australia

379 readers
55 users here now

Your one-stop shop for any and everything Australia.

Guidelines:

Other Communities:

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
Deceptichum@quokk.au
Quokka@quokk.au
22
What the upcoming nationwide e-bike crackdown means for you (www.sbs.com.au)
submitted 2 months ago by Quokka@quokk.au to c/australia@quokk.au
6 comments fedilink hide all child comments
top 6 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] pixxelkick@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

This feels utterly backwards

E-bikes should just be treated like mopeds and etc...

They should require a drivers license to operate, as well as insurance... Its not exactly rocket science. If the vehicle can hurt/break people/things... it should require a license and insurance to operate it.

Any legal violations in the use of an e-bike should incur violations on your drivers license, and in turn get your drivers license revoked.

Hurting someone and driving away should be a massive illegal act, thats a hit and run. It should get your drivers license revoked and huge insurance claim.

Driving without insurance should be jail time. Driving without a drivers license should be jail time. Etc etc.

Like we already fuckin solved these issues with other vehicles, why are these ones any different?

Kids should not even be allowed to use them.

Purchasing one should require proof of license.

[–] fizzle@quokk.au 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

With the greatest respect, this perspective lacks the nuance to regulate this burgeoning area of human transportation.

Even if you personally may not appreciate this type of transport, cycling provides a very profound benefit to public health, while easing the burden on infrastructure, and reducing the environmental impact from larger cars. Well designed regulation for e-bikes, promoting appropriate use, is good for everyone including motorists.

Australia really got it wrong with helmet laws and there's a wealth of data describing the harm this mis-step has cost Australians:

https://www.cycle-helmets.com/index.html

E-bikes should not require a drivers license, because operating one is not at all similar to driving a car. While risks exist, they're not the same risks one encounters while driving a car.

Compliant e-bikes can assist a rider up to a speed of 25km/h. Anything that assists you when riding faster than that is not compliant. Anything that has a throttle is not compliant.

The biggest problem presently is that parents can buy a battery and wheel hub from ali-baba for a few hundred dollars, and a 12 year old kid can strap it (literally) to a $100 k-mart bike and be weaving through traffic at 50km/h. For $1,000 or so you could construct a contraption that would get you up to 70km/h or perhaps more.

Preventing the sale of this type of non-compliant device is a sensible and obvious first step.

[–] pixxelkick@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

E-bikes should not require a drivers license, because operating one is not at all similar to driving a car

I dont know about your country but here in Canada we have like 7 different kinds of drivers licenses.

Driving a car is a Class 5, learners is a Class 7, motorbike is a class 6, busses are class 2, etc.

Mopeds are under Class 7, so simply getting your learners at 14, you can now drive mopeds.

E-bikes should be classified under the same as mopeds, lower speed and less dangerous than motorbikes.

I believe small dirt bikes with gas engines are also classified under class 7.

I dont think you need a class 5 or 6 to drive an ebike, thats too restrictive.

But at minimum class 7 for sure, which is literally just a simple written exam and eye exam, but whats important is legally the ability to now incur infractions on your learners.

You arent allowed to get your drivers license until you have gone 2 years without infractions here. So if you hurt somebody diving your bike, itd have true proper legal ramifications in your driving record.

And, you 100% should need insurance to drive one, just like any other motorized vehicle. Thats just basic stuff obviously.

The biggest problem presently is that parents can buy a battery and wheel hub from ali-baba for a few hundred dollars, and a 12 year old kid can strap it (literally) to a $100 k-mart bike and be weaving through traffic at 50km/h. For $1,000 or so you could construct a contraption that would get you up to 70km/h or perhaps more.

Parents can also buy a beater car for $1000 and their child can get in drive that into traffic, whats your point. Should we stop the sale of all cars? Or do the sensible thing as we currently do and require a license+registration+insurance to buy a car?

We literally have already solved this problem with mopeds and dirt bikes like 30 years ago.

Just cuz the motor is electric instead of gas doesnt magically change anything at all.

[–] fizzle@quokk.au 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Sorry chief cars are heavily regulated. The whole point of this article is that e-bikes should be also. Kinda shut yourself down there.

[–] pixxelkick@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Uh we don't fuckin ban the sale of cars though, thats insane and stupid.

"Children were driving cars into people so instead of banning children from driving cars, banned the sale of them unless they cant go faster than 25km/hr"

Which, by the way, is still stupid.

Ebikes will still completely fuck a person uo if you hit them at 25km/hr.

Unlike a pedal bike, ebikes are WAY heavier and have way more momentum, so that will still cause massive damage.

The whole thing is stupid, top to bottom.

[–] fizzle@quokk.au 1 points 2 months ago

E-bikes are not cars. They're two different classes of vehicle with completely different uses, advantages, and risks.