There France carries out a campaign against the phenomenon of modification
the performance of e-bikes and it does so by publishing a new article from the Code
de la Route, the equivalent of our Highway Code: precisely we speak
of the law L317-1 which provides for very severe penalties for both users and for
dealers who "unlock" the performance of pedal-assisted bicycles.
While the e-bike sector is expanding rapidly, many users
believe that the rule that practically applies throughout Europe, namely that of the
limit of pedal assistance equal to 25 km / h, is too restrictive
for your needs and you often hear about "being able to take off", even in
very easy way, the limiters imposed by the manufacturers in order to increase
the overall performance of the bike and reach higher speeds.
In France, sanctions have been introduced dedicated to this practice which they provide for fines
up to € 30,000, a year of imprisonment and also a maximum of 3 years of
suspension of driving license; this law, in addition to end users, applies
also for importers, distributors and resellers in order to also counteract the
phenomenon of import models, lawful on paper, with engines that in
effects are certified for limit value of 250 W but in fact
make other powers available.
As in Italy, even across the Alps e-bikes do not boast any form of
insurance or protection for any damage caused to things and people, obviously
the increase in the maximum speed at which they can circulate does not represent
certainly a positive factor to counter these possible accidents.