The fastest e-bike for sale can go 74 miles an hour. It isn’t shipped that way. It’s shipped so it will only hit 20 miles per hour. It’s not rocket science to modify it into a two-wheeled rocket.

Oregon’s laws for e-bikes have not kept up.

The definition of an e-bike in Oregon is outdated. The enforcement tools are also not there.

E-bikes can be safe. They can be a fantastic way to get exercise. They can be a marvelous green tool for trips around town. But the state of Oregon needs to make changes.

State Rep. Emerson Levy, D-Bend, was before the Bend City Council on Oct. 4, outlining her plans.

She is going to use one of her bills coming up in the short legislative session next year to line up Oregon’s definitions for e-bikes with federal law. That’s a small step. It’s a necessary one.

The bigger change she seeks is to allow children 16 and under to ride e-bikes as long as they are pedal-assist. They could not be on a bike with a throttle, which allows a rider to go without pedaling, until they are 16. The current law is more restrictive — any child under the age of 16 cannot be on any form of electric bike.

Not everyone is going to be happy with that second change. Yes, children under 16 are already riding e-bikes. Would this change have the unintended consequence of creating more dangerous situations? There needs to be an open debate about it before the Legislature is in a rush to get bills passed. Does Levy’s suggestion make sense to you? You can tell her what you think by emailing Rep.EmersonLevy@oregonlegislature.gov.

These changes would not “solve” e-bikes in Oregon. The road system isn’t bike friendly in many places. Enforcement challenges will remain. Police do not have a lot of time to enforce laws for e-bikes with the other calls they must respond to. They have to prioritize.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said one worrying trend is the willingness of e-bike riders to take off when police do try to stop them.

“We have had a couple times where young riders, early 20s, late teens, have turned a simple violation stop into a felony elude,” he said. “Because when you run on it, you are in a vehicle and you then have committed a felony elude.”

He doesn’t want Bend Police racing after e-bike riders in their SUVs. That could get dangerous fast.

Ignoring traffic laws is not exclusive to e-bikes. Pedestrians break traffic laws. Bike riders do it. Car drivers do it. E-bikes are new, so the attention is on them.

More people riding bikes or e-bikes is a good thing. But Oregon does need to update its laws so police have the tools to deal with the riders who do bad things.