Electric bikes are a popular way for adults and kids to get around but they can be very dangerous. Two North County cities have already declared e-bike emergencies after deadly accidents — and now the state wants to crack down on who can ride them.
A bill before the state legislature would prohibit kids under 12 from riding e-bikes and require an online test and license.
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E-bikes fill Eze Ryders bike shop in Point Loma. Shop manager Omar Avila told NBC7 he noticed the skyrocketing popularity during the pandemic. And that his customers often include parents buying bikes for their kids. Since he rides, too, he's frequently asked the same question.
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“You want to ask me like, ‘Do I think it’s safe?’ No. ‘But do I want to stop your kid from doing it?’ No," Avila said. "It’s a very weird place to be in.”
Avila said despite their growing popularity, e-bike safety concerns are not new.
Currently, California prohibits kids younger than 16 from riding e-bikes capable of certain speeds, like class 3 bikes, which can reach up to 28 miles per hour.
“It’s not up to me," Avila said. "I can recommend getting all the safety gear, how to ride it, where to use it and do all that, but at the end of the day, it’s the user."
Justine Fritz brought her teenage son to Mission Beach on Wednesday. He may ride mountain bikes, but e-bikes are not allowed.
“They’re almost like motorcycles, some of them. And the little kids are on them, and they’re racing around and they don’t have the cognitive ability to be using a tool like that in a way that’s safe for them,” Fritz said.
Carlsbad and Encinitas have already declared a state of emergency after recent deadly crashes. Those crashes occurred in District 77, represented by Assemblymember Tash Boerner. They prompted her to author the bill AB 530 that is currently before the state legislature.
It would prohibit kids younger than 12 years old to ride an e-bike. Also, it would require classes, tests and a state-issued photo ID for those without a driver's license.
At Eze Ryder, Avila told NBC7 this bill is encouraging and helps him feel better about his job.
“If there’s proper training and stuff like that, I think that would be awesome," Avila said. "As long as these kids are informed and the parents feel safe about their kids going on these bikes, as long as it’s all proper, I think that’s a good direction."
Also in the bill is a stakeholder working group that would include agencies like the DMV, the CHP and various bike organizations to guide and provide insight on the training and licensing process.
Boerner was unavailable for an interview on Wednesday but confirmed she plans to start meetings with those stakeholders in the fall.
