California E-Bike Bill Could Require Training & Licensing for Riders
A new California e-bike bill could change the rules around who can ride electric bicycles, and may place additional restrictions on those that do.
The California e-bike bill — Assembly Bill 530 — is currently working its way through the state legislature, according to FOX 5 San Diego.
If the California e-bike bill passes in its current form, it would implement the following restrictions:
- Requiring anyone who doesn’t have a driver’s license to take an online written test and have state-issued ID before riding an e-bike.
- Establish an e-bike training program in partnership with the California DMV and California Highway Patrol.
- Ban people under the age of 12 from riding e-bikes in the state.
E-bikes are a popular form of transportation for those in coastal areas of San Diego. People living in Encinitas, for example, are used to seeing young kids riding their e-bikes around town, as well as two and from school.
However, e-bikes not without their dangers. For example, the City of Encinitas declared an emergency after a 15-year-old died while riding an e-bike in June.
Local school officials and police have also called for stricter rules surrounding e-bike usage, bike safety education, and other stipulations. Those are all things that the California e-bike bill would address.
The bill was sponsored by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, who represents coastal San Diego areas like Carlsbad, Encinitas, La Jolla, and Del Mar.
“As a mother and a legislator, I believe that we must act to prevent our youth from injuries and educate parents on the promise and responsibility of e-bikes, and AB 530 is another step to increase their safety while sharing the road,” Boerner said in a statement distributed to media.
There’s no clear answer on when the bill might pass, but it’s due to go before a committee soon.
Mike Peterson is a writer, editor, and strategist based in San Diego. When he’s not writing and editing the La Jolla news, you can often find him practicing yoga, rock climbing, or exploring the outdoors with his wife and dog.
