LOUISVILLE, Colo. (KMGH) — This week, the Louisville Police Department announced the department has impounded several e-motorcycles that were being driven by underage drivers.
According to the department, the parents of these riders were issued summonses for Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.
The department said vehicles were designed for off-road use and are not legal for operation on public streets, sidewalks, or paths.
Colorado State Patrol is reporting that their agency is also receiving more questions from the public about e-bikes and e-motorcycles.
“I think that a lot of people still don't have a good clarification of the classes of e-bikes and e-motorcycles (e-motos). So for e-bikes, there's three different classes. There's class one, two, and three. Class one and two fall under the same style of category, where it's under 750 watts and 20 miles per hour max. These are not required to have a helmet, license, registration, proof of insurance, anything like that,” Colorado State Trooper Hunter Mathews said. “Class three is the same thing as class one and two, but it has a throttle. This one does require a helmet for kids under the age of 18, and once you get above the 750 watts and the 20 miles per hour, it becomes a low-powered scooter.”
Mathews said for low-power scooters that go above 750 watts and up to 4,476 watts, as well as reach speeds of up to 28 miles per hour, a driver’s license and proof of insurance are required.
Anything above 4.476 watts that exceeds speeds of 28 miles per hour is considered an e-motorcycle and requires a driver's license, registration, proof of insurance, helmet, and motorcycle endorsement.
Mathew said adults who are operating e-bikes and e-scooters should not be doing so while under the influence.
“Even though they're only scooters or bicycles, technically, you can still be cited for a DUI with these. Under the DUI statute, they are listed as a vehicle, which can go as far as a bicycle, a scooter, a golf cart, anything that is self-propelled or can be propelled, those fall under that DUI statute. So you can receive a DUI on these devices,” Mathews said.
Mathews said e-bikes and e-motos face varying restrictions depending on the jurisdiction in terms of whether they can be ridden on trails, but generally they are prohibited on sidewalks.
As e-bikes and e-motos grow in popularity, Mathews said Colorado State Patrol is working to inform Coloradans about the rules and laws they must follow while riding them.
Mathews said CSP is also currently collecting feedback from the public using its biannual survey to learn how Coloradans feel about enforcement and the overall job CSP is doing.
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