At around 10 p.m. on July 18, there was a collision between an electric motorcycle and an SUV at the intersection of West 7th Street and McClellan Street in Tama. Preliminary investigation suggests that two juveniles failed to obey a stop sign while traveling west on the electric motorcycle on 7th and struck the back passenger’s side of the SUV going through the intersection.

The two juveniles were transported to area hospitals. The driver of the SUV, thirty-six-year-old Juanita Avila Lorenzana, was charged with driving without a license.

E-bikes have been a large topic of conversation as of late; this incident has at its center an electric motorcycle, which can lead to a point of confusion. Toledo Police Chief Quigley stated the difference between a bicycle and an electric motorcycle: “Bicycles have pedals that can also be utilized to operate, so it can be propelled by human power as well. Electric motorcycles are solely powered by the electric motor.”

Although local ordinances are being looked into, there are none at this time regarding these vehicles. “However, it should be noted that the electric motorcycles we have been seeing meet the definition of an “off-road motorcycle” by Iowa Code and cannot lawfully be operated on city streets, sidewalks, or on the Tama-Toledo Rec Trail. This is a state law, so they cannot be operated on any roadways or sidewalks except for a small amount of exceptions,” Chief Quigley stated.

There are electric bikes, electric scooters, and electric motorcycles, all different, and all of which have had a recent surge in Iowa. With the popularity of these vehicles comes the rise of reckless driving, incident, and injury.