SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A 60-day grace period has ended, and now, San Diego police can issue citations to young riders who violate the city’s e-bike safety laws.
The ordinance, which took effect in August, sets a minimum age of 12 to ride Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes. Citations can be issued starting Tuesday, Oct. 13, with a $25 fine for violations.
City Councilmember Raul Campillo, who helped advance the city's e-bike laws, said the fine amount was set by state law and is intended to hold riders accountable without placing an excessive financial burden on families.
“This is a pilot program. It’s a first of its kind,” Campillo said. "The $25 was what the state law allows us to actually charge for one of these tickets, partly because we don't want to be incredibly punitive towards families."
In some cases, cited riders can complete a free, state-approved Online Electric Bicycle Safety & Training Course, instead of paying the $25 fine.
“Education is always the best solution to problems,” Campillo said.
Campillo said the pilot program will help the city collect data on citations and crashes to evaluate whether the regulations are improving safety. He hopes the effort will help reduce serious injuries among young riders.
Campillo also pointed to injury data from Rady Children’s Hospital, which reported a 1,770% increase in e-bike injuries in San Diego County since 2022. Many of the injured riders were reported to be between 13 and 14 years old, according to the hospital.
Dr. Romeo Ignacio, trauma medical director at Rady Children’s Hospital, said the hospital has seen a sharp increase in e-bike-related trauma cases.
In August, Ignacio said, “Back in 2021, I think we only saw three bike injuries as traumas. This past year, we saw over 260. E-bike injuries are now the hospital’s second-leading reason for trauma activations."
Ignacio added that e-bike injuries could become the leading cause this coming year.
The ordinance has drawn criticism from the San Diego County Bike Coalition, which opposes the ordinance and argues that the city is focusing on the wrong problem.
In a statement, the coalition made the following argument:
“The riding that worries families is already against the law: running red lights, blowing through stop signs, and weaving through crowded sidewalks. Many of the scariest incidents involve high-speed electric motorcycles. State law doesn’t classify them as e-bikes, and no one under 16 can ride one without a license. Enforcing the laws we already have would deal with all of that without taking a safe way to get around away from kids who follow the rules.
“n a city full of hills and canyons, an e-bike is often the only way a kid can get to school, practice, or a friend’s house on their own. Take that away, and parents who are already stretched thin end up making more car trips.
We haven’t seen any data on how many children under 12 are hurt in crashes on legal Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes. We’re asking the City to track and publish citation and crash data under this ordinance, and to revisit it if it isn’t making our streets safer. Dangerous driving remains the biggest threat on our streets, and the City’s enforcement resources should go there.
The Coalition teaches bike and e-bike classes to families across the county. We’re ready to work with the City on education that keeps young riders moving, and moving confidently and safely.”
