A District Court case, involving a private prosecution when the Gardai did not want to know, has led to a landmark finding that an e-bike is a mechanically propelled vehicle.
The Gardai, apparently, were unsure of the legal status of the e-bike in terms of the road traffic laws. The victim in this case brought his own criminal prosecution.
The significance of this determination is the obligation to take out insurance for the user of the vehicle.
The victim in this case involving an e-bike has brought a personal injury claim against the ‘cyclist’ and intends to join the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) because the driver of the e-bike that caused the injuries was not insured to drive the e-bike.
MIBI is funded by motor driver insurance policies and is sued when a driver involved in an accident had no insurance or is untraced.
Learn more about personal injury claims in Ireland here.