Let’s ban these on all NJ highways (Opinion)

Talk about an accident waiting to happen. Authorities say a 34-year-old man lost his life on Interstate 78 in Union County this week.

According to New Jersey State Police, Irving Batista was riding a Zugo e-bike and first collided with a pickup truck, spilling the bike, then was struck and killed by a car. The fatal accident occurred Monday at 6:10 a.m. on westbound 78 in Union, police say.

Here’s the thing. According to the state Department of Transportation, electric bikes, like the Zugo e-bike, are not permitted on interstate highways in New Jersey.

According to my research a Zugo e-bike can reach 20 mph but some can go 28 mph. How is that speed any match for what’s happening on I-78? It’s incomprehensible to me that anyone would try this.

While the state says e-bikes are already banned from this type of highway, I would suggest some far more radical bans. New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country. Our roads are a white-knuckled challenge on a good day.

Forget e-bikes. I am appalled when I see regular bikes on roads like Rt. 31 or Rt. 202 in Hunterdon County. They’re not allowed on certain highways, but here they are.

They shouldn’t be.

The law states any bicycle is permitted to be operated on most roads as long as it can keep up with the flow of traffic, and that if it cannot it must ride to the far right of the travel lane or in a bike lane if one exists.

We’ve all seen too many bicyclists who want cars to obey the law but themselves to be exempt. We’ve all seen bicyclists riding three and four abreast far under the speed limit and not yielding to cars that come up behind them.

I’ve witnessed too many Lance Armstrong weekend Lycra warriors blow through red lights and flip the Jersey salute to drivers who had the right of way.

If e-bikes are a problem, so are bicycles, and have been for a lot longer. Honestly? A state like New Jersey is just too congested to have bicycles allowed anywhere but residential neighborhoods anymore.

Just my opinion. I’m sure the guy dressed in black with no light on his bicycle who blew right through the stop sign in front of me in Flemington at 11:30 p.m. would be happy to disagree.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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