Assembly introduces bill that would create education, licensing requirements for e-bike riders

In response to the growing popularity of e-bikes, and the corresponding increase in collisions involving e-bikes, Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner introduced a bill in February. 9 that would create education and licensing requirements.

The bill is a reiteration of last year’s AB 530, which failed to pass the Assembly. It could ban children under 12 from riding e-bikes. Riders who are 12 and older must complete an online course and a written test, in addition to obtaining a state ID if they do not have a driver’s license.

“E-bikes provide that sense of freedom that so many school-age children and Californians are looking for,” Boerner, D-Encinitas, said during a news conference at Earl Warren Middle School in Solana Beach. “But it’s crucial that we make sure they know how to drive using the rules of our roads and make safe and smart decisions when sharing the roads with cars and pedestrians.”

Cities have tried to enforce enforcement, even through it an increasingly popular entertainment program which allows e-bike riders who are ticketed by law enforcement to complete a safety course instead of paying the fine. Many of those riders were students who weren’t wearing their helmets, or were riding with a passenger on an electric bike that wasn’t meant to have passengers.

Local leaders also called on the state law to provide more consistency, instead of many communities creating a patchwork of regulations.

Injuries and deaths on local roads over the past two years have only heightened the sense of urgency. In Carlsbad, a collision that killed Christine Hawk, 35-year-old e-biker, led to an emergency declaration by the City Council to improve safety on the roads. Encinitas took similar action after the death of Brodee Champlain-Kingman, 15, who was hit by a van while riding his electric bicycle.

Rimga Viskanta, president of the San Dieguito Union High School District board of trustees, said e-bike safety has been a growing priority to keep students safe.

“We have partnerships with our local cities, we have partnerships with bicycle coalitions to provide education in our schools and online, and it’s not enough,” said Viskanta, one of several local elected officials to speak during the conference of press. “We really need all hands on deck with this e-bike safety situation.”