ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions and shares tips about the rules of the road, helping Central Florida residents become better drivers by being better educated.
Trooper Steve was asked, “Are gas-powered bicycles legal in Florida?”
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“I find this question funny because in today’s society we’re trying to turn gas cars into electric cars, meanwhile, some people are trying to turn bicycles into gas-powered bicycles. I don’t know where this started, but I am intrigued by it. Somewhere, someone decided to attach an engine to assist them on their bicycle and, well, it’s become a new craze,” Trooper Steve said.
He said a gas-assisted bicycle is legal in the state of Florida but like every thing else, there are governing laws that provide guidance on how bicycles should be operated.
Trooper Steve said a bicycle under human power operates under normal bike laws, but once a bicycle has the assistance of a gas engine, it is no longer allowed on the road or sidewalk and would only be allowed on private property.
“The state of Florida still identifies this as a bicycle, whether a motor is present or not. There are no scenarios in which a gas-assisted bicycle can be registered as a moped or a motorcycle and would allow that to be defined as a vehicle to be driven within travel lanes,” he said.