Physical educator Cláudia Christiani, 57, left the stress of the city of São Paulo eight months ago and went in search of quality of life in Ilhabela, on the north coast of São Paulo. He even changed the way he got around by purchasing a kind of low-power electric motorcycle a few days after his move.
With a helmet on her head and always riding in the flow of traffic, never on the bike path, she is considered something of an exception in the city. “I always take every precaution,” he says.
These vehicles, which from January 1 will have specific traffic rules, are all the rage in the cities of the São Paulo coast. So much so that seaside municipalities have created educational campaigns and traffic checks especially for them.
In Ilhabela, for example, mopeds and electric scooters have become a problem on the 12 km cycle path that runs along the town, speeding to a spot next to the sidewalk, endangering cyclists and pedestrians.
“The issue of electric-powered vehicles is a very serious problem,” says Marcel Luiz Giorgeti Santos, director of Ilhabela’s traffic division.
“People use it without any rules, on the sidewalks, without helmets,” he says, noting that it is common to even find children behind the wheel.
The law which comes into force at the beginning of the year defines a moped as a vehicle with two or three wheels whose engine capacity cannot exceed 50 cm³, in the case of those equipped with a combustion engine, or electric vehicles with a maximum power of 4 kW and whose maximum manufacturing speed does not exceed 50 km/h.
To drive these “50”, now electric, it is compulsory to wear a helmet, have a license plate and have an ACC (Moped Driving Authorization) or CNH (National Driving License) category A — it is therefore prohibited for people under 18 years of age.
According to the CTB (Brazilian Highway Code), offenses can range from medium to very serious.
They will also not be able to travel on cycle paths and cycle lanes, a ban anticipated by many municipalities. In Ilhabela, for example, they are exclusively reserved for traditional and electric bicycles, as well as electric scooters, all without accelerator.
Despite the appearance of a motorcycle, as is the case with physical educator Andréa’s vehicle, it is considered self-propelled (which has its own propulsion motor, without the need for pedals, for example) and since it only has 1,000 W of power, it does not need a license plate.
“I never ride on the bike path, because it’s a danger, especially for distracted tourists,” she says.
Other towns on the north coast have started organizing these so far educational street blitzes to try to discipline the use of vehicles – this is the case of Caraguatatuba and Ubatuba, which last month organized an orientation conference on the theme for traffic police and municipal guards.
In Santos, in Baixada Santista, there is a municipal law that regulates the circulation of electric bicycles and self-propelled vehicles, such as scooters, and prohibits mopeds on cycle paths.
Due to the growth in the use of these vehicles, a campaign to clarify standards for electric bicycles and self-propelled vehicles such as scooters, roller skates and skateboards has been launched since May.
“Agents explain that such vehicles can circulate on cycle paths, provided that they have a motor with a maximum power of 1,000 W, do not exceed a speed of 20 km/h and use the mandatory safety equipment,” specifies the town hall, in a note.
Since its beginning and until the end of November, the campaign totaled 88 actions which guided 921 users on cycle paths.
In Praia Grande, also in Baixada Santista, a law was approved this month that regulates the circulation of these vehicles.
Electric bicycles and self-propelled individual mobility devices may circulate in areas intended for pedestrians, such as sidewalks, but only for the circulation of elderly people with special needs or reduced mobility, and provided that the speed does not exceed 6 km/h.
In the case of electric bicycles, according to the new municipal law, the minimum age for use in the city is 14 years.
“Sharing companies must adopt age verification mechanisms, linked to the user’s CPF,” specifies the town hall.
“These equipment have become part of people’s daily lives and it is essential that they are used responsibly and in compliance with traffic rules,” says the director of the Praia Grande Traffic Education and Safety Division, Wanderley Vivaldo de Sousa Neto.
See the rules
Electric bikes
- can travel on cycle paths, cycle lanes and cycle routes, in accordance with the speed rules established by the body responsible for the route
- I can’t have an accelerator
Self-propelled vehicles, such as electric scooters, are authorized in:
- pedestrian areas, with speeds of up to 6 km/h
- cycle paths, cycle lanes and cycle routes, according to regulated speed
- roads with a maximum speed of 40 km/h, as decided by the local traffic authority
Source: Senatran
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