DeSantis deraills new eBike laws with veto
Instead of signing Florida’s new eBike rules into law, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed Senate Bill 382 on June 25.
DeSantis took issue with the speed limit imposed on eBikes when near pedestrians on sidewalks.
“CS/SB 382 prohibits e-bikes from operating at a speed greater than 10 miles per hour if within 50 feet of a pedestrian. The bill establishes a standard that would certainly be difficult for a bicyclist to measure when safely operating an e-bike,” he wrote in his veto letter.
He also said the bill would put eBike riders under more scrutiny by police and disagreed with forming a task force after implementing laws.
“This bill will likely lead to enhanced surveillance by local governments against citizens,” he wrote. “Moreover, the bill creates a task force, yet substantive changes are also implemented prior to any task force recommendations.”
The bill had support from both sides of the aisle. It passed by a unanimous vote of the House on March 9. The Senate approved it on Feb. 25. The Bill required eBike riders to yield to pedestrians and announce when they pass on a recreational trail. It also required the eBike rider to slow to less than 10 miles per hour when within 50 feet of a pedestrian on a sidewalk. It asked police to track eBike accidents and created a Micromobility Device Safety Taskforce that was supposed to meet and submit a report with recommendations for further legislation by October.
According to Sen. Clay Yarborough, who cosponsored the bill, it’s back to the rdawing board.
“The concerns raised by the Governor are valid,” Yarborough said in a statement to First Coast News. “I co-sponsored the bill because a growing number of Floridians, especially younger ones, continue to be severely injured in e-bike accidents. We have a responsibility to both protect pedestrians and improve safety for e-bike riders, so hopefully next Session we can strike the right balance on a workable policy.”
