NYS auto insurance, riding e-bikes

The fine print in NYS auto insurance

The editorial “Pop the hood on auto insurance” Opinion, March 8] makes the case for reform of New York’s auto insurance industry, but the army of personal injury lawyers who broadcast their services all day long from so many media outlets will try to keep that from happening. Their lobby in Albany is too rich and powerful.

Case in point: How many drivers know what they are buying when they renew their policy? Buried in my policy package is the “Supplemental Spousal Liability Declination Form,” which I must submit to my insurance company to avoid an additional premium of $38 per year, which would be automatically included in the bodily injury liability limits and is not a separate item on the declarations page. This coverage allows one spouse to sue the other for negligence, another opportunity for the trial lawyers to profit. This is despite my marital status being listed as “single.”

I’d guess that other dubious provisions are in the policy that will only become apparent if I file a claim.

— Stephen Sullivan, West Babylon

Prohibiting e-bikes makes little sense

So, Nassau County police will ticket e-bike riders up to $700 if their bike has a throttle and they ride in a public place [“Nassau police: E-bikes illegal,” News, March 10]. This is a poorly conceived regulation written by people who apparently don’t understand the concept of e-bikes.

Lots of older people use e-bikes that weigh over 50 pounds. The throttle is important to safely ride through busy intersections from a full stop and starting up a hill or riding over a curb.

Thus, a senior riding responsibly who happens to have a throttle on the bike gets a ticket. Meanwhile, someone on a regular bike can ride recklessly near pedestrians, and that’s OK?

There should be a law that you can’t write a law about a subject you don’t fully understand.

— Michael Melgar, Old Brookville