AB-2989, the motorized scooter bill, is still making its way through the legislature. The good news is that it removes the silly helmet requirement. The bad news is that it retains speed limit prohibitions:
The operator of a motorized scooter shall not operate a motorized scooter on a highway with a speed limit in excess of 25 miles per hour unless the motorized scooter is operated within a Class II or Class IV bikeway.
There are a lot of 30 mph streets where it is safe to operate a scooter, even where there are no bike facilities. While the bill does give cities the option to make exceptions to this rule, how likely is that given the reactionary policies we’ve seen from places like Santa Monica? Alternatively, lawmakers might have permitted sidewalk riding on fast arterials, but the bill outlaws sidewalk riding in all cases. Scooter riders will no doubt ignore these legal requirements — which perpetuates the stereotype of them being inconsiderate lawbreakers.
