SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego approved new e-bike safety regulations Tuesday, setting a minimum age requirement and reinforcing helmet rules amid a surge in serious injuries among young riders.
The city's new ordinance raises the legal riding age for Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes to 12. The regulations also reinforce helmet requirements and clarify that additional riders are only permitted on an e-bike if a permanent second seat is attached.
A recent report from Rady Children's Hospital found 262 traumatic e-bike injuries were treated in 2025. The hospital says e-bike injuries became the number one reason for emergency visits.
I met Aria Grossman, with Circulate Planning & Policy, across the street from where a 15-year-old was injured on their e-bike after being hit by a car — one of many incidents that fueled concerns about e-bike safety.
"I mean, I think all of us want to see less injuries of kids on our streets," Grossman said.
"There's been a lot of attention in the news, right, and that's what's led to this, this adoption of this ordinance on the increase of trauma calls or severe injuries of kids on e-bikes coming into hospitals and thats a really big problem," Grossman said.
Grossman says restrictions are only part of the solution. She believes safer streets and bike infrastructure could also help.
"But I do think there's a big gap in this data that we're using to make this decision," Grossman said.
"We're seeing these increases in e-bike injuries, but we don't really have a sense of how e-bike use is changing," Grossman said.
"Maybe the solution is more protective infrastructure as opposed to regulating the use of different kinds of bicycles," Grossman said.
The city will begin with a 60-day education period before enforcement begins. After that, violations could result in a $25 fine, with an option to dismiss it by completing a free CHP-certified e-bike safety course within 120 days.
"Parents are gonna have to educate themselves on the different classifications of e-bikes, what is safe to buy for their kids and what isn't," Grossman said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
