Novato police officers and firefighters want parents to be mindful if electric bicycles are on their holiday shopping lists for their children.
The city produced an online video this month to inform viewers about the state and county regulations on e-bikes.
“Consider your child’s age, maturity and level of experience before purchasing an age appropriate e-bike for them,” Novato police Sgt. Trevor Hall said in the video.
The video also warns viewers that electric motorcycles can be mistaken for e-bikes. Such vehicles generally travel faster than e-bikes and are covered by different state regulations.
Police said 15 incidents in Novato involved e-bikes or e-scooters over the past year, many involving serious injuries. Last month, a 14-year-old boy suffered critical injuries from crashing his e-motorcycle into a van on Cambridge Street.
“There is a measurable amount of confusion over what an e-bike is and what an e-motorcycle is,” Hall said in an interview.
Hall said state law requires a motorcycle license, vehicle registration and helmet protection in order to operate e-motorcycles. A rider must be at least 16 years old before obtaining a motorcycle license in California.
In the video, Hall advised parents to go on practice rides with their children if they buy e-bikes to ensure they learn how to operate the vehicles properly. Novato police and fire staff also encourage parents to review e-bike safety and traffic laws with their children.
Novato’s recent e-bike safety campaign was held during a year when new e-bike restrictions went into effect across Marin County.
County supervisors approved ordinances for unincorporated areas that prohibit youths under 16 from operating class 2 e-bikes. Such vehicles are throttle-assisted bicycles with motors that have a maximum speed of 20 mph. All riders are required to wear helmets to ride class 2 e-bikes.
Similar age restrictions for class 2 e-bikes were adopted over the summer in Novato, San Rafael, Mill Valley, San Anselmo and Tiburon.
The county also launched the “E-Bikers Club” program this year to raise youth awareness about the new e-bike rules.
Marin’s regulations for class 2 e-bikes are based on Assembly Bill 1778, which was authored by Assemblymember Damon Connolly in response to a rise in e-biking injuries. The bill went into effect in July and only applies to Marin County.
County public health officials reported that the number of e-bike crashes for youths 10 to 15 years old is five times higher than for adults.
California law forbids children under 16 from riding class 3 e-bikes, which are pedal-assisted bicycles that have a maximum speed of 28 mph. Youths are still allowed to operate class 1 e-bikes, which are pedal-assisted and have motors that can power the bicycle to 20 mph.
The Transportation Authority of Marin’s Safe Routes to Schools program offers bicycle and e-bike safety classes at schools. Program director Gwen Froh said students are taught about the laws that distinguish e-bikes from electric motorcycles.
Froh said many manufacturers sell electric motorcycles “under the guise of an e-bike.” The topic is addressed in a recent online video for the Safe Routes to School program.
“We are in a unique position of hearing firsthand from students who exceed the speed limit while their peers look on, confused and concerned, feeling peer pressure to go along with breaking the laws,” Froh said in the video.
Froh said in an interview that if a class 2 e-bike can travel more than 20 mph on motor power alone then it is no longer an e-bike, but rather an electric motorcycle. She said an electric motorcycle might also have pedals.
More information on e-bike regulations and safety tips is available online at saferoutestoschools.org.
