SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A San Diego County Supervisor is pushing to for the ability to keep our streets safer with e-bikes using legal action.
“The San Diego County Board of Supervisors will be voting on my proposal, which will direct county council to investigate and pursue litigation against the manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and online platforms that are selling these illegal e-bikes to kids.”
Lawson-Remer said some aren’t buying what they thought they were buying.
“All summer, we've been hosting e-bike safety trainings and helmet giveaways for kids and parents,” Lawson-Remer said. “Well-meaning families are showing up with e-bikes that they've purchased for their children, only to learn that many of these e-bikes they've purchased are actually illegal electric motorcycles.”
On Monday, Lawson-Remer announced the effort that will go before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday morning.
So what is the difference between a legal e-bike and an illegal one?
“If I see you on flat ground going faster than 20 MPH without pedaling, I know you're not on a legal device. Cause in order to be a legal class one or class 2 e-bike, you have to have a top assisted speed of 20 MPH. Class 3 e-bikes can reach 28 MPH, but they do not have throttles. The only way to get the motor to turn on is by pedaling,” Kevin Baross, San Diego Bike Coalition Education Manager
Baross has been at some of these safety trainings Lawson-Remer has held.
Outside of how fast the bikes go and the wattage on the motor, the other thing he’s looking for in a legal e-bike is the pedals.
“I'm looking for pedals. Those pedals have to make it move. Just throwing pedals onto the side of a motorcycle doesn't make it into a bicycle,” Baross said. “The pedals have to be functional, and we've had kids show up to these classes with literally no chain, just pedals that spin in the breeze. That's not a bicycle. That's a motorcycle.”
Baross felt this proposal by the board is a great next step for safe and legal e-bikes to be on the roads.
Lawson-Remer said this is about accountability for the companies making them.
“Parents absolutely should not be vehicle code experts to know whether they're buying a bicycle or a motorcycle,” Lawson-Remer said. “Companies should not be allowed to mislead consumers and profit by confusing parents and customers.”
