"Police in the North Bay say e-bike accidents are out of control. Multiple crashes over several days involving young people are now driving new legislation to make e-bikes safer. Petaluma police are sounding the alarm about the dangers of e-bikes and e-motorcycles, posting a video on social media of a young rider blasting through stop signs. "What we're seeing with the collisions is that the injuries that are being sustained by the riders are more consistent with those of someone who's riding a dirt bike or, you know, something that's propelling them at a speed that's more significant than a pedal bike would be," said Sgt. Mario Gomio."
""You're dealing with something that goes very fast, very quickly," said Assemblymember Diane Papan, San Mateo. She's proposing new legislation that would put strict regulations on the power of these bikes. Anything above 750 watts would be reclassified and require a license to operate. "You may not sell a bike that has a peak of greater than 750 watts, and it's already that way in Europe. So if you will pardon the pun, manufacturer would have to throttle back on the wattage. Emergency room physicians are saying they're seeing a lot of injuries," Papan said."
Communities in the North Bay report a surge in e-bike and e-motorcycle collisions, with multiple recent crashes involving young riders. Petaluma police posted video of risky riding behaviors such as running stop signs and warn that injuries resemble those from dirt bikes rather than conventional pedal bicycles. E-motorcycles feature throttles and lack pedals, increasing speed and danger. Lawmakers propose strict power limits, including reclassifying bikes above 750 watts and requiring licenses, and suggest manufacturers throttle wattage similar to European rules. Emergency room physicians report increasing e-bike–related injuries, prompting enforcement and regulatory responses.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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