California enacts new e-bike safety laws

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed three new laws aimed at increasing e-bike safety in California following a rise in high-profile collisions. The measures include setting sidewalk speed limits, clarifying e-bike classifications, and limiting youth access to certain models.

One key component is a pilot program in San Mateo County authorized by Assembly Bill 2595, which prohibits children under 12 from riding specific lower-speed e-bikes. Parents or guardians of violators may face $25 fines. Similar pilot programs have been established for San Diego and Marin counties.

These legislative actions follow research from UC San Diego indicating that e-bike collisions, particularly involving riders aged 14 and younger, have increased significantly from two incidents in 2018 to 1,566 in 2024. While the laws aim to improve safety, critics express concern that increased regulation and policing could discourage the use of e-bikes as an affordable and environmentally friendly mode of transit.