California

Here, we went from mandatory helmet laws for any bicycle or motorcycle use to no helmet required if electric and widespread recreational use of high powered unlicensed e-bikes by individuals of all ages. It seems to have started with rentable e-bikes and e-scooters. Local leaders looked the other way when companies placed motorized transportation devices around town without requiring a helmet rental system. They eventually repealed the helmet it law as it was rarely enforced and when enforced it was seemingly applied discriminatorily. I’m not concerned enough to monitor all changes in the law, but once we looked the other way on e-bikes, I now see more actual dirt bikes and over powered e-bikes (not enduros or dual-sports) on the road today. In my opinion, all three branches of our government are often so slow to react to either technological advances or new ways of commerce that the burgeoning industries have outsized influence on their own regulation. I’m looking at you gig apps, peer to peer commerce, and tech assisted dynamic and personal pricing trends).