Electric bike riders might soon lose their exemption of wearing a helmet or carrying a driver’s licence. A change in the definition of ‘vehicle’ would bring the electric bikes under the same category as normal petrol-powered two-wheelers, making it compulsory for riders to wear a helmet and carry a driver’s licence and insurance.
The recommendation to bring about the change in definition was put forth by a group of state transport ministers set up by the road transport ministry. As of now, electric bikes with power less than 250 watt and a top speed of less than 25 kmph fall under a lower category of vehicles, which makes riders exempt from wearing a helmet and carrying a driver’s licence. However, with the change in regulations, riders will now have to adhere to the same set of rules applicable to regular motorists.
When on road, a slow moving vehicle is equally open to risk of an accident and serious injury as a fast vehicle. As such, the necessity of a safe headgear is quite obvious. With the change in definition, the necessity to carry a driver’s licence will put electric bikes out of reach of under aged riders. This might negatively impact the sales of electric scooters, which already face a lack of demand across the country.
