Lafayette officer urges caution on e-bikes, outlines class speeds and Class 3 age limit

Officer Blank of the Lafayette Police Department gave a short public safety briefing on e-bikes and e-motos, explaining how the vehicles are classified and urging parents to match bikes to a child's abilities. The officer said the city has seen rising popularity in e-bikes and encouraged people to use local bike shops and the city safety page for guidance.

"Class 3 go up to 28 miles per hour and have pedal assist or a throttle, and these can only be ridden by riders over the age of 16," Officer Blank said, describing the fastest category of e-bikes. He also described Class 1 bikes as pedal-assist models that can reach up to 20 miles per hour without a throttle, and Class 2 models as those that include a throttle and also top out around 20 miles per hour. Officer Blank emphasized that electric motors let e-bikes reach higher speeds than ordinary bicycles and that greater speed increases risk.

The officer advised parents not to let children ride equipment they are not physically or mentally ready to handle and pointed listeners to local bike shops for help selecting the appropriate model. He also provided a city resource for safety information at www.lovelafayette.org/slowdown and closed by urging all riders to "only go as fast as you're capable of riding" to protect both riders and pedestrians.