Криза з електросамокатами в Нью-Йорку досягла межі після смертельного наїзду

E-bikes are reshaping urban transport. They bridge gaps for commuters, delivery riders, and anyone looking for a practical alternative to cars or public transit. For many, they’re a gateway to mobility that might otherwise be out of reach. They’re also surprisingly easy to buy, being affordable, accessible, and just a few clicks away from your computer or mobile device.More: The Cheapest Electric Audi e-tron You Can Buy Comes With PedalsOf course, there is also a small subset of consumers who buy up or create e-bikes that aren’t legal on city streets and then ride them there anyway. In New York City, that growing gray area has already turned deadly.When Speed Becomes the ProblemEarlier this month, Queens resident Terri Valenti died after a rider on a Movcan V30 hit her. That e-bike is capable, in some forms, of doing up to 32 mph. Under New York law, those that can go that fast are technically motorized scooters. Some manufacturers blur that line by fitting pedals, a simple way to pass as a pedal-assist bike. But legal definitions aside, Valenti’s death underscores how dangerous these machines can be when they’re ridden where they don’t belong.The state defines three categories of e-bike and all have a speed cap between 20 and 25 mph. The electric motors in these bikes can provide at most 750 watts of power. Anything beyond either of those constraints dips into motorized scooter territory. Racing Ahead of RegulationDespite that, there’s nothing stopping people from buying e-bikes that violate those rules. Even those that fall within those bounds can sometimes be modified to perform beyond them.As NYC.StreetsBlog points out in its coverage, some major brands, along with small-time players, dabble in this realm. Onyx, for example, sells a 155-pound “bike” capable of 40 mph, which YouTuber Casey Neistat recently demonstrated on the Brooklyn Bridge. Others, like SUPER73, once had a 30-mph mode before new California laws came into effect. Notably, riders quickly found workarounds using third-party apps. All of the above demonstrates just how wide-ranging this issue is.Recently, several high-profile motorcycle and bicycle-centric personalities have pointed it out. Seth Alvo, creator of the YouTube channels Berm Peak and Berm Peak Express, covered the situation from a cyclist’s point of view: “The difference between a motorcycle and a bicycle shouldn’t be difficult to spot. You should be able to just look at it and tell, but the truth is that legally, it’s not so clear.”On the flip side, Ryan Kluftinger from the YouTube channel FortNine researched the topic from a motorcyclist’s point of view. While he’s a proponent of more people enjoying high-powered e-bikes, he acknowledges that e-bikes are becoming motorcycles.Cities Begin to Push BackThat’s the big key here. It’s getting harder and harder to differentiate what is what, and so cities like New York are considering clamping down on e-bike sellers rather than relying on local authorities to police the problem on the streets.Regardless of where these e-bikes are, they pose a potential risk to those around them when they’re not piloted safely. That said, the overly cramped streets of New York, full of pedestrians, other cyclists, and vulnerable road users, make the situation one where accidents will continue to happen.