San Diego approves new e-bike restrictions for kids
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San Diego is adopting new e-bike rules with age and passenger restrictions. Photo: Kevin Carter/Getty Images
San Diego is cracking down on e-bikes with new rules banning young kids from riding and limiting passengers.
Why it matters: E-bikes are popular but sometimes dangerous vehicles, and crashes are sending more kids to the hospital for traumatic injuries.
Driving the news: The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt new regulations under a pilot program that bans children under 12 from riding class 1 and class 2 e-bikes.
- Passengers will only be allowed on bikes with a second seat.
- There will be a 60-day warning period before $25 citations are issued, and kids can take an e-bike safety course to get a ticket waived.
- The rules will take effect 30 days after a final approval by the council and the mayor. The program will run through 2029.
Zoom in: The program requires police to collect data on the number of traffic stops, citations, rider ages and races, crashes, injuries and e-bike types and report it to the state.
"We want fewer children showing up to ERs," Councilmember Raul Campillo told Axios. "I'm really hoping that the educational component of this program will help solidify in young people and their parents just how dangerous these can be."
Between the lines: The city's pilot program was established through a state law that went into effect last year.
- So councilmembers couldn't alter or add restrictions, like increasing age limits or banning particular bikes, Campillo said.
- This program was "designed to be the first step of many," he said, and "it is the beginning of us putting in place concrete ideas that will save people's lives."
By the numbers: E-bike collisions across San Diego have nearly quadrupled over the past five years, per an Axios analysis of police data.
- The number of accidents involving kids rose by over 300% from 2019 to 2023, according to the city.
- Kids are four times more likely to get an extremity injury on an e-bike than a pedal bike, the city reported.
- Rady Children's Hospital saw 262 pediatric trauma cases related to e-bikes last year, and 25% of trauma patients now involve e-bikes, the hospital reported.
Threat level: E-bikes are on track to become the most common cause of child trauma cases at Rady Children's this year.
- The ER is seeing kids with bone and spinal fractures and severe head injuries, including skull fractures, brain bruises and bleeding.
State of play: The rise in e-bike injuries prompted a countywide public health warning in May.
- La Mesa, Carlsbad, Oceanside, San Marcos, Poway, Imperial Beach, Encinitas and Coronado have all adopted regulations enforcing age limits for kids under 12.
- San Diego Unified schools have various policies set by principals and PTAs, like making students do training and have a signed form to park their e-bike at school, Campillo said.
What we're watching: The state Legislature could create new or stricter regulations after evaluating the pilot programs across the state or anytime before they end.
- Several bills related to e-bikes have been introduced by lawmakers, including state Sen. Catherine Blakespear, who represents North County coastal cities.
- Her bill would clearly define electric bicycles and prevent vehicles like e-motos that are faster, more powerful and more dangerous from being sold or marketed as e-bikes, she told Axios.