LANSING, MI (WTVB) – Michigan State Representative Phil Skaggs is spearheading a bipartisan legislative effort to enact stricter safety regulations for e-bikes and electric scooters, following a sharp increase in serious accidents and fatalities across the state.
The newly introduced House Bill 6166 seeks to bridge a widening gap between rapidly advancing micro-mobility technology and the state’s lagging traffic safety laws. “
The push for these safety measures gained renewed urgency this week after an accident in Bloomfield Township left two 13-year-olds critically injured when their e-bike was struck by a pickup truck.
If passed, the legislation will establish a minimum age requirement of 14 for riders of Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, which currently face no age restrictions under Michigan law. Among the requirements in the bill it would mandates helmet use for minors aged 17 and under, institutes a strict one-rider-per-device occupancy standard,
Skaggs says he expects to secure broad bipartisan support and anticipates the bill could reach Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s desk for signature before the end of the year.
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