Driving Safety: 5 mph in BRC

The speed limit in BRC is 5 mph at all times — that’s reeeaaaallly slow! Pedestrians and bicycles have the right of way over motor vehicles. Mutant Vehicle artists, operators, and passengers must comply with safety standards, including the physical and mechanical integrity of vehicles and adherence to driving rules. Passengers may only get on or off a vehicle that is completely stopped. Vehicles are prohibited from driving on the Esplanade, A Street, the promenades from the city to the Man and the Temple, and inside the perimeter around the Man.

Motorcycles

Motorcycles are only allowed in BRC if they were your sole means of transportation to BRC, and must be parked at your campsite for the duration of your stay. Participants bringing motorcycles that aren’t their sole means of transportation will be asked to turn around at the Gate.

Personal Transportation Vehicles (PTVs)

Personal Transportation Vehicles are subject to the same rules as any other motorized vehicles, including the 5 mph speed limit and use of front and rear lights at night. BLM Rangers will issue citations for noncompliance. Please review the complete list of allowed and disallowed vehicles on the Burning Man website.

What kind of Personal Transportation Vehicles aren’t allowed?

Any powered vehicle not on the “Allowed PTVs list” may not be brought to Black Rock City. This includes many electric or gas scooters. If you bring a disallowed PTV to Black Rock City, you will be required to take it off playa before you will be allowed to enter. If a disallowed PTV is found inside the city, you will be required to take it off playa. Operating a disallowed PTV at Burning Man can result in the vehicle and owner being ejected from the event.

Electric-Assist Bikes (E-bikes)

Speeding eBikes are a BIG and growing concern! Complaints about speeding eBikes were frequent and the most prominent feedback from the 2022 event. Reports of injuries from eBikes abound in cities across the globe, and that now includes BRC. In BRC, eBikes are:

  • Unsafe, since they typically go much faster than necessary or permitted 
  • Unsustainable, since they need a power source to charge
  • Unnecessary, since the playa is flat

E-bike operators MUST respect the 5 mph speed limit everywhere in BRC. The speed limit in BRC is 5 mph. eBikes are also valuable to thieves, and susceptible to damage by the harsh climate of the Black Rock Desert. 

We will be more closely monitoring eBikes this year. If speeding eBikes continue to be an issue, we may: require registration with inherent costs, hold speeding users (and their camps) accountable through limits on future ticket access, limit their use to those with documented mobility issues, and/or ban them altogether. 

And remember, Black Rock City moves slowly and the best parts are often those random moments – you will miss BRC if you move too fast. 

Note that bike repair camps are not equipped to fix e-bikes. 

Electric-assist bikes must conform to the following specifications:

For your ebike to be allowed in BRC, it must:

  1. Be generally recognized as a bicycle
  2. Have 2-3 wheels
  3. Have working pedals
  4. Have an electric motor, up to 750 watts
  5. Have a top rated speed of no more than 20 mph with 170 lb. operator
  6. Not be a moped