The Carlsbad City Council on Tuesday adopted staff's recommendation to ban children 12 and under from operating e-bikes and prohibit riders under the age of 16 from carrying passengers.
Kids doing wheelies, darting in and out of traffic, and getting injured in crashes are among the reasons the council unanimously adopted the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission's recommendations. The city was the first in the county to pass laws making it easier to enforce e-bike safety.
"That’s a topic or an area that definitely needs to be looked at," Carlsbad resident Kelly Miller said.
The city took up the option now that a new state law, Assembly Bill 2234, allows cities in San Diego County to establish a minimum age for operating e-bikes as part of a pilot program. Staff will now draft an ordinance and bring it back at a later date for the Council's and the public's input.
Coronado, Chula Vista, Santee, Poway and San Marcos all adopted the ban earlier this year.
“I think maybe along with that legislation, they should probably think about — or, if it's possible — to incorporate some type of educational base, maybe some training, that could go on to allow these kids to be safer on the streets,” Miller said.
According to city data, there have been nine e-bike crashes involving riders 12 and under since 2022. Some needed to be taken to the hospital.
“It's just bound to happen on a lot of these kids,” Carlsbad resident Skylar Ireton said.
He said he saw firsthand how bad these crashes can be when his friend’s child was involved in an e-bike crash.
“(He) smashed into a car and the mirror broke his jaw and a bunch of teeth," Ireton said. "Just not paying attention, running through a red light at an intersection. Just not a care in the world, like it’s his playground.”
In September, the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission held a special meeting to get input on the ban. More than 550 people submitted comments, with most supporting the idea.
The draft ordinance could impose a $25 fine on violators and impound the e-bikes. The parents of serious repeat offenders could face child endangerment charges.
