DeSantis vetoes e-bike safety bill for the most Florida of reasons

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has vetoed a bipartisan e-bike safety bill that would have introduced new rules for riders around pedestrians, effectively ending legislation that had passed both chambers of the state legislature unanimously.

The bill, SB 382, was designed to address growing concerns around the increasing popularity of e-bikes and electric scooters in Florida. Among its provisions was a requirement that riders slow down to 10 mph when passing or traveling within 50 feet of pedestrians on Florida’s multi-use paths popular with walkers and joggers, with violations treated similarly to a non-moving traffic offense. It would also have established a task force to study electric bicycle safety and recommend future statewide policies.

Instead, DeSantis rejected the bill over concerns that enforcing the speed limit would require speed detection technology, according to CBS.

In his veto message, the governor argued that the legislation “would inevitably be enforced with speed detection and surveillance devices” and warned that it could lead to increased government surveillance of citizens.

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It’s certainly an unusual reason to sink a safety bill. The legislation wasn’t mandating any sort of statewide surveillance network, but the governor argued that enforcing speed limits near pedestrians could eventually result in more monitoring by local governments.

Meanwhile, many local officials had hoped the state would provide clearer guidance as cities grapple with a rapid rise in micromobility. Coral Springs City Commissioner Joshua Simmons, who had advocated for the legislation, expressed disappointment after the veto, noting that the city has recorded 81 crashes involving electric mobility devices since last September. He said families across Florida were looking for more consistent statewide rules as injuries continue to mount.

The veto means Florida municipalities will largely remain on their own. Several cities, including Coral Springs, say they’ll continue pursuing local education campaigns and enforcement efforts instead of waiting for state action.

An electric bicycle ridden on a Florida multi-use path

Electrek’s Take

It’s fair to have a conversation about how traffic laws are enforced and where privacy concerns should factor in. But rejecting a bill intended to reduce collisions between fast-moving e-bikes and pedestrians because it might someday involve speed detection feels like putting a hypothetical concern ahead of a very real one.

And frankly, if your concern is that speed limits are a problem because they would require checking people’s speeds, then perhaps it’s time that you take a break from any important decision-making roles. That’s how speed limits work. Sure, Big Brother is out there in a number of ways that should legitimately raise concerns, but a cop holding a radar gun isn’t one of them.

As e-bike ridership continues to grow, Florida will still have to answer the same question eventually: how do you keep vulnerable pedestrians safe while encouraging micromobility, especially when states like Florida have long prioritized multi-use paths over dedicated bicycle lanes? For now, that answer appears to be leaving it up to each city to figure out on its own.

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