Orange County is grappling with a persistent rise in deaths, injuries, and felony charges linked to e-bikes, prompting an ongoing debate about the most effective strategies to curb this worsening trend. Approaches vary across the county, encompassing local laws, enforcement, and educational initiatives.
Earlier this month, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer hosted an e-bike buyback program at Angel Stadium, an initiative typically reserved for firearms. The program, held on September 13, aimed to remove e-bikes from streets and disseminate educational information about their use. However, the $100,000 allocated for gift cards, intended for participants turning in bikes, was exhausted halfway through the event, despite hundreds of Southern California residents waiting in line. Spitzer stated that the buyback is one component of a broader plan to reduce e-bike crash fatalities, which also includes education, prosecution, and infrastructure development.
The human cost of e-bike incidents was highlighted by Jesse Hayes, an Orange County resident, who sustained a traumatic brain injury in October 2024 after being struck by a car while riding his e-bike in Huntington Beach. He was unresponsive for months and continues to recover two years later. At the buyback event, Jesse and his mother, Kasey Hayes, urged parents to understand the inherent dangers of e-bikes before purchasing them for children. Kasey Hayes emphasized that not all injured riders are reckless, stating, “There is a misconception of these kids that get hit, they’re all riding reckless, they’re all doing wheelies, they’re all out of control. That’s not true.” She attributed challenges to factors such as inadequate bike lanes, distracted drivers, and riders not operating bikes properly.
While a patchwork of local laws and e-bike crackdowns have been implemented across cities, bike-friendly infrastructure has largely remained unaddressed. Anjali Tapadia, a Fullerton resident and chair of the city’s Active Transport Committee, expressed concern that the buyback program negatively portrays e-bikes, equating them to dangerous objects similar to guns or illegal electric motorcycles. Tapadia views e-bikes as beneficial tools for fostering community connection and believes designated bike lanes are the most immediate change cities could make to enhance cyclist safety. She cited a report by the Mineta Transportation Institute and San Jose State University, which found that updated infrastructure is a key method for preventing e-bike injuries and deaths, noting that most fatalities result from collisions with other vehicles rather than solo accidents.
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) offers support for creating bikeways and plans, alongside grants for bike infrastructure that cities can apply for. According to Megan Abba, an OCTA communications specialist, Orange County currently has 1,000 miles of bikeways, with 54% of primary roadways incorporating a bike lane. Collaboration with OCTA or securing grants is the responsibility of individual cities. Tapadia argued that increased police enforcement on e-bikes detracts from their positive public image.
Education has been identified by officials as a critical component of accident prevention. District Attorney Spitzer stated, "Kids are dying because they don’t understand the vehicles that they’re driving." Tim Weisberg, Deputy Director of Communications and Public Affairs at the California Office of Traffic Safety, echoed the need for increased education for both e-bike riders and their parents. Currently, the county lacks a streamlined directive for e-bike education, leaving cities responsible for their own programs. Huntington Beach leads with a regularly scheduled e-bike education program, partnering with local school districts to mandate the course for students who ride e-bikes to school. This two-hour program covers California laws, emergency braking, and proper helmet use, allowing youth cited for improper riding to waive their citation by attending with a parent. Irvine and Laguna Beach also offer safety classes for youth, though these are not regularly scheduled. Irvine Unified School District requires students to complete a safety course before riding e-bikes to school. Additionally, the OC Sheriff’s Department has conducted some e-bike safety classes.
Despite efforts by county and city leaders to regulate e-bike use and explore safe infrastructure over recent years, injuries, particularly among youth, continue to rise. The appeal of e-bikes for younger riders is often met with a lack of mandatory education or driver's license requirements for purchase.
