In what appears to be a first of its kind, a new law was just enacted in Arizona that seems to have swept up some electric bicycles in an effort to outlaw kids operating off-road vehicles.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has just signed into law Arizona Senate Bill 1567, which focuses on two key issues regarding off-highway vehicles (OHVs). The new law makes it a criminal offense for anyone to operate an OHV while consuming or possessing an open container of alcohol, and it also aims to prevent children from operating them by requiring a valid driver’s license and driver training. The former seems like a good idea, but it’s the latter that could pose a problem for kids riding recreational e-bikes.
The issue is the way Arizona defines OHVs. As stated in the new law, “An OHV is a motorized vehicle that is operated primarily off of highways and that is designed,…