¿Lograrán las nuevas leyes estatales reducir el peligroso uso de bicicletas eléctricas en Silicon Valley?

Los Gatos community leaders are optimistic that new state laws will help control unsafe behavior by riders of electric bicycles and get illegal e-bikes off the streets.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four recent bills that crack down on selling so-called “e-motos” that can exceed the speed limit for legal e-bikes; require more safety gear on some e-bikes; sets a speed limit of 10 miles per hour on sidewalks; and calls for creation of a statewide e-bike safety training program for preteens.

Los Gatos Mayor Rob Moore said he is particularly pleased with SB 1167, which strengthens a ban on advertising motorcycle-like e-motos as street legal e-bikes.

“What it really does is make sure that consumers understand what is legal and what’s illegal,” Moore told San José Spotlight. “That’s been a big part of the problem — consumers are being marketed these illegal motorcycles and don’t do their own research.”

Because e-bikes have more power and acceleration than traditional pedal bikes, they increase the risk of injury to riders, especially for children who don’t have the experience or training of adult motorists.

E-bike injuries in the state soared from just two in 2018 to 1,506 in 2024, according to a Informe de investigación in July from the University of California San Diego.

“One of our most concerning findings was the disproportionately high number of injured children involved in e-bike crashes,” John Austin, a surgery resident and fellow at UC San Diego School of Medicine and lead author of the report, wrote. “E-bikes provide valuable transportation and recreational benefits, but their higher speeds can generate crash forces more comparable to motorcycles than traditional bicycles, leading to potentially severe injuries.”

Wendy Riggs, executive director of Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Safe Routes to School, appreciates the new state laws but wants regulations to go further.

Riggs would like Class 1 e-bikes, which only provide a pedal assist and don’t go faster than 20 miles an hour, to be limited to ages 12 and above in most cases. Class 2 and 3 e-bikes, which have throttles and go as fast as 28 miles an hour, should be for ages 16 and above, she said.

“I’m not against electrified bikes,” Riggs told San José Spotlight. “I just think people are buying e-bikes that are not developmentally correct for their child.”

Law enforcement officials in California are beginning to hold parents legally accountable for providing their children with illegal e-bikes. On Oct. 20, the Orange County District Attorney filed child endangerment charges against the parents of a 13-year-old boy killed while riding an e-moto at 43 miles an hour. The DA then filed charges against six more parents on Oct. 21, in one case involving a 9-year-old boy riding an e-moto when he was hit by a pickup truck.

Teens and preteens are attracted to e-bikes for the freedom they provide to quickly get around town, yet they often face peer pressure to illegally modify the bikes for greater speed and to perform dangerous tricks.

Emirali Mazanov, a 16-year-old junior at Los Gatos High School, started an online business selling e-moto accessories, but is adamant they should only be ridden on private property — such as dirt bike tracks — rather than on public roads. Mazanov was given permission by his mother to speak to this news outlet.

“There are lots of reckless stunts being done on the street, for sure,” Mazanov told San José Spotlight. “Last week, I was in San Francisco, and I saw an entire rideout where there were at least 500 kids on these e-motos. I did see an injury, where a juvenile crashed into the back of a car and he wasn’t wearing a helmet, causing him to go unconscious.”

Mazanov supports safety training through events for young people that are both fun and informative.

“I think a trained 15-year-old is safer than an untrained adult on a bike this fast,” he said.

On Dec. 11, Santa Clara County officials are bringing together private groups and government agencies for an e-bike safety summit in San Jose with the goal of founding a future task force focused on long‑term, interdisciplinary e‑bike safety efforts throughout the region.

Illegal e-bike use by children and teens is widespread, according to a study released last December by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University.

“Counts of electric two-wheelers parked at a dozen Northern California middle and high schools found that almost 90% may not meet the standards for legal electric bicycles,” the study reads. “Some of these devices have as much as eight times more power than legal limits.”

Bicycle advocates are worried illegal e-motos and unsafe riding will give e-bikes a bad name.

“As a shop owner, I’m greatly concerned that the unregulated e-motos are clouding the waters of what an e-bike is,” Lars Thomsen, owner of Trail Head Cyclery in Cupertino, told San José Spotlight. “All these (legal) e-bikes are lumped in with any number of (e-moto) brands that pose as a bicycle.”

For parents who are unsure what type of e-bike is appropriate for their child, Los Gatos Mayor Moore recommended a “shop local, shop legal” approach. He said local bike shops, unlike online sellers, can explain the rules around e-bikes and can find a model that’s appropriate for their child’s age and skill level.

Comuníquese con Mike Langberg a través de [email protected].