Last week, the Santa Ana City Council voted unanimously without discussion to introduce an ordinance addressing e-bike safety. The action, taken at the Oct. 20 meeting, proposes new regulations that include banning riding on playgrounds, implementing specific speed limits, allowing the citation of parents whose minor children ride recklessly, and granting officers authority to temporarily confiscate or impound electric bicycles.
Santa Ana Police Sgt. Travis Johnson spoke at the Oct. 20 meeting, outlining the ordinance's intent. According to Johnson, "This ordinance is intended to give riders clear expectations, provide officers with appropriate enforcement and safekeeping authority, and most importantly, promote education and safer riding behaviors throughout the city." He further noted that the city recognizes e-bikes as an "affordable and a valuable form of transportation," clarifying that the ordinance aims "to simply improve and encourage safe and responsible use of them" rather than to discourage their use.
The proposed rules include several specific prohibitions. Riders would be banned from exceeding 5 mph near school zones or when pedestrians are present and from exceeding 10 mph on sidewalks. The ordinance also bars carrying more passengers than an e-bike is designed to handle, performing wheelies, or executing jumps. Additionally, riding would be prohibited on sidewalks within the civic center, on playgrounds, at public sports fields, and on dirt walking paths.
Enforcement provisions in the ordinance allow police officers to temporarily confiscate an e-bike if a minor is found breaking the rules and their parents are not present, holding the vehicle until it can be released to a guardian. Furthermore, the ordinance permits officers to impound Class 3 E-bikes, which are models with motors assisting riders up to 28 mph, from individuals under the age of 16 for a 48-hour period. Officers would also be able to ticket parents who allow their children to violate these new rules. Violators who incur three or more infractions within a year could face fines up to $250.
The introduction of these new rules follows concerns raised by police officials regarding e-bike safety. According to these officials, there have been five e-bike related deaths within Santa Ana over the past three years. This includes an incident on Aug. 11 at Santiago Street and Santa Ana Blvd.
Santa Ana's action reflects a broader trend across Orange County, where city officials have been overhauling local laws to address unsafe e-bike riding. This county-wide effort comes in response to a sharp increase in electric bicycle-related injuries, a consequence of the growing popularity of this mode of transportation. The debate on solutions includes calls for focusing on rider education and enforcing new regulations, alongside arguments for the need for improved infrastructure to ensure the safety of young riders.
In Anaheim, officials are also addressing e-bike safety. At their 5 p.m. Tuesday meeting, Anaheim officials are expected to receive an update from police detailing efforts to enforce existing e-bike rules, educate the public on safe riding practices, and outline future strategies to reduce injuries. An Anaheim staff report indicates, "The increasing use of electric bicycles and electric motorcycles throughout Anaheim and California has raised public safety concerns regarding rider injuries and unsafe operating practices." To enhance enforcement and education, the Anaheim Police Department is developing a 16-hour officer training course focused on the laws governing electric bicycles and electric motorcycles.
Concurrently, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer's office is intensifying efforts against reckless riding, with a focus on prosecuting parents who knowingly permit their children to ride irresponsibly or who assist in modifying e-bikes. Last week, Spitzer's office announced the filing of child endangerment charges against six additional parents throughout the county. This includes charges against two parents following the death of their 13-year-old son in Garden Grove in May, after he crashed an e-motorcycle. Prosecutors allege the father had received multiple warnings regarding his son's unsafe riding and the illegal e-motorcycle prior to the fatal incident. Last month, Spitzer's office also organized an e-bike buyback program at Angel Stadium, an initiative aimed at reducing deaths associated with e-bike crashes.
