Amazon has announced it will stop selling certain high-speed electric bicycles in California following a string of fatal incidents and a consumer alert from the state's attorney general. The move comes after an 81-year-old man died in Orange County in April when a teenager illegally riding an e-motorcycle struck him. The teen's mother, Tommi Jo Mejer, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and several county district attorneys issued a consumer alert last month warning that vehicles capable of exceeding 28 mph with pedal assistance or 20 mph with throttle assistance are legally classified as mopeds or motorcycles, not e-bikes. These vehicles require special licensing and have age restrictions.
“Sometimes, what looks like an ebike or is marketed as an ebike is not a bike at all. We are seeing a surge of safety incidents on our sidewalks, parks and streets,” Bonta said. Amazon stated it is working to remove listings for e-bikes or e-motorcycles that do not comply with California regulations.
KCRA 3 reported finding vehicles listed as e-bikes that could exceed 40 mph. After contacting Amazon, the company removed the listings and said it would require third-party sellers to follow state laws and company policy. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer praised the development, noting that a 13-year-old boy recently died after crashing an e-motorcycle.
“More than 100 deaths across the United States have resulted from ebike and E-motorcycle crashes and injuries have increased 430% in the last four years in southern California,” Spitzer said.
