TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida lawmakers are revving up new safety rules for electric bicycles and scooters.

Under House Bill 243, any e-bike capable of traveling more than 28 miles per hour or equipped with a motor of 750 watts or more would be reclassified as an "electric motorcycle."

That means those bikes would need to be registered, and riders would be required to have a driver’s license — and stay off sidewalks and bike lanes.

The bill also takes aim at people who modify their e-bikes to make them faster than the manufacturer intended — a trend police say has become increasingly common.

What they're saying:

"Just like cars, you can put new engines in and do some upgrades — the same thing with these e-bikes," said Lt. Jason Levey with the St. Petersburg Police Department’s traff

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