The Board of Supervisors directed county attorneys Tuesday to investigate and take legal action against companies marketing what one official described as "overpowered electric motorcycles" as e-bikes.
Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer said in a statement she made the proposal after hosting recent e-bike safety training sessions, "where a large number of kids arrived with e-bikes that were actually illegal electric motorcycles capable of reaching 40, 50 or even 60 miles per hour."
According to her office, "in most instances, parents bought the bikes unaware they were illegal motorcycles."
"False and deceptive advertising by manufacturers and retailers of these illegal e-bikes is a big problem," Lawson-Remer said in a statement.
"It's a very simple principle," she added. "You cannot lie to people when they go to buy something. It's a very core principle. We must hold these deceptive marketers accountable."
Lawson-Remer's office also noted:
- a California Legislature-commissioned study found that nearly 88% of electric vehicles at selected middle and high school bike racks were found to be illegal e-motorcycles, and not legal e-bikes;
- a significant increase in crashes involving e-motorcycles "ridden by children as young as 11," as reported by San Diego police; and
- state law limits legal e-bikes to three classes, with maximum assisted speeds of 20 or 28 mph.
According to Lawson-Remer, Rady Children's Hospital has seen pediatric e-bike trauma cases "surge from three in 2021 to 262 in 2025, putting e- bikes on pace to become the hospital's leading cause of pediatric trauma this year."
Further, a 14-year-old was killed in an e-bike crash over the weekend, her office said.
The child was riding his Zooz e-bike northbound on Olney Street, entered the intersection at Balboa Avenue against the red light and was struck about 9:20 p.m. Saturday by a 2023 Tesla Model 3 westbound on Balboa Avenue, the San Diego Police Department reported.
"This is a huge problem," Lawson-Remer said at the Tuesday meeting.
Parents and their children who attended training sessions want to be safe, said Lawson-Remer, who added she rides both a standard road bicycle and an e-bike.
Using two wheels is a wonderful way for people to get around, she said, adding that e-bikes can be an equalizer for older residents facing certain physical challenges.
However, too many residents are being sold what are basically motorcycles, leading to serious accidents or even fatalities, she said.
Supervisor Jim Desmond was the lone dissenter in the board's 4-1 vote, saying it would be "jumping the gun" to pursue legal action as a first step.
He added that the bipartisan state Senate Bill 1167, which the Legislature recently passed, is designed to help protect residents in terms of how e-bikes are marketed to residents.
In the meantime, the focus should be on education for parents and their children, said Desmond, who added that many cities in San Diego County have adopted e-bike regulations.
Desmond said he agreed that the popular e-bikes and e-motorcycles are a public safety issue and "have created an uproar in these communities."
Supervisor Paloma Aguirre has heard concerns over e-bike safety from residents in her district, including the community of Bonita. She added that parents should not have to become vehicle experts to keep their children safe.
