Amazon stopped selling Class 3 e-bikes in the Golden State.
Why? Because people are getting hurt. Badly. Some are even dying. The giant retailer is quietly scrubbing its website, pulling listings for zippy electric bikes that zoom faster than state laws allow. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer dropped this news on Monday. It wasn’t a surprise really, given the trail of blood.
Tuesday brought another courtroom appearance. A mother sat in a chair that suddenly felt much harder than usual. She faced involuntary manslaughter charges. Her son? He was fourteen. Riding an e-bike. He struck an 81-year-old man. Killed him. Just like that.
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The government saw this coming, sort of. Last month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined forces with other district attorneys. They issued a stark warning. Not a gentle reminder. A consumer alert about safety. State law draws hard lines for these metal tubes on wheels. If pedal assistance pushes you over 28 mph, it’s a Class 3 vehicle. If throttle gets you over 20 mph without pedaling? Also Class 3.
Standard bikes don’t have to follow these rules. But the fast ones? Different game entirely. Stricter rules apply. Sometimes you need a real driver’s license. Not just a learner’s permit. Class 1 and 2 bikes top out at 20 mph. Anyone can ride those, regardless of age. No minimum age set by law. Class 3? You must be at least 16. And yes, you wear a helmet.
Bonta was blunt in his release.
“Sometimes, what looks like an e bike or is marketed as an e bike is not a bike at all.”
We are watching sidewalks fill with danger. Parks too. Streets. It is no longer just about transportation. It is about whether your kid’s toy is actually a motorcycle in disguise. Bonta puts it plainly. If it goes too fast it is not a bicycle. It is a moped. A motor vehicle. The marketing lies, but the pavement doesn’t care about branding. It only cares about momentum and bone.
Amazon is finally cleaning up the shelves. Is that enough? Probably not. The machines are still out there. Running on batteries. Waiting for the next rider.
