A new Colorado law that takes effect August 12 aims to curb e-motorbike crashes among minors as these type of vehicles rise in popularity among Colorado's younger population.
The law, HB26-1079, changes requirements for minors to be able to get a motorcycle endorsement on their driver's license, according to Colorado State Patrol Trooper Huner Mathews.
Previously, anyone over the age of 21 could consent for that minor for them to be able to take the course to receive their motorcycle endorsement. The new law will now require a legal parent or guardian to give written consent to that minor to be able to obtain that motorcycle endorsement.
The law specifically targets e-motorcycles, or e-motos, which have more power and ride faster than any electric bicycle currently on the market.
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Mathews said children under the age of 18 will need to wear a helmet if their e-bike can reach speeds of 28 mph.
For e-motorcycles that go 28 mph or faster and have 750 watts to 4,476 watts of power, riders must be at least 16 years old. They will also need a driver's license, and the bike must be registered and the rider must have proof of insurance.
“A lot of the times parents aren't educated on exactly what they're buying their kids. A lot of the times they just know it's an electronic bicycle,” Mathews said. “But they're not being educated enough to know that these e-bikes sometimes can be an e-motorcycle, which entails they need they need a driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance, and wear a helmet.”
Politics
New law to require parental consent for minors seeking motorcycle endorsements
Mathews said teens and parents can face penalties for breaking the new law and those penalties range from warnings to tickets, varying for each municipality.
“Everything comes down to the discretion of the officer,” Mathews said. “This goes into effect with parents as well. If they think that the parent has been negligent with how their child obtained this bike or has been riding it, I believe that those parents can be charged as well.”
Months ago, Aurora police began warning parents about the dangers of high-speed electric bikes and motorcycles marketed to teens online — a growing problem across the Denver metro area.
