Peru’s Motorcycle Ban: A Questionable Solution to Rising Crime?

Peru recently enacted a controversial ban prohibiting two people from riding on the same motorcycle in areas declared under emergency due to rampant criminal activity. This policy aims to disrupt the widespread use of motorcycles by sicarios—hitmen—who exploit these vehicles’ agility and speed to execute assassinations and vanish rapidly. But does restricting law-abiding citizens' mobility truly reduce violent crime? President José Jerí insists it does, arguing that statistics show motorcycles are the preferred tools of criminals. While the surge in lethal incidents involving motorcycles—from attacks on presidential candidates to diplomats and journalists—is undeniable, this punitive rule primarily penalizes everyday Peruvians...