LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — On weekdays, teenagers in Orange County zip through traffic, sometimes weaving in between cars, on their way to school in the morning. During the weekends, they travel in packs, riding to the local In-N-Out on a Saturday. All of this is done on electric bicycles.

Jeff Sisk, general manager of Jax Bicycle Center in Long Beach, told Spotlight Schools that e-bikes are the fastest-growing category in the store, with sales increasing by 20% each year. Despite safety concerns, e-bikes continue to thrive from the purchases of parents and teens, who Sisk says are the main consumer audience for these types of bikes.

“(E-bikes) give (teenagers) a sense of freedom and mobility. It gives them a way to commute or get to where they need to go without the parents having to do it for them, but it’s also just fun. It’s liberating,” Sisk said.

With e-bikes, teens can travel at any time with friends without having to worry about parking their cars. A simple text message, and soon, two or more friends are riding their e-bikes down the street to grab lunch.

“Before having my (driver’s) license, it was great because I could go much further and quicker than what would be possible with a normal bike,” said Los Alamitos High School senior Adam Kogen.

The average e-bike has can go about 20 miles per hour, but that can vary based on the model and manufacturer. Similarly, prices can range from a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand, depending on the bike and its features, according to Ride1Up.

The Orange County Transportation Authority states that there are three classes of e-bikes, and each group has its own set of regulations for the rider’s minimum age, where people can ride and speed limits. The rules can also change depending on which city you’re riding in. One consistent rule: Anyone under the age of 18 must wear a helmet when riding an e-bike or regular bike.

Safety concerns

E-bikes allow teens more independence, but they also raise safety concerns. E-bike trauma patients have increased by some 500% since 2020, the O.C. Register reported in June.

“Injuries sustained while riding e-bikes are more severe compared to manual bikes due to the speed and lack of operator skill,” Children’s Health of Orange County wrote in a 2022 report on e-bike injuries. The most common injuries are concussions and fractures, according to the report.

Schools have been responding to the growing trend of more young people riding e-bikes.

Since 2023, Oak Middle School and McAuliffe Middle School have required their students to take a safety course and obtain a license in order to ride their e-bike to school.

According to a 2023-2024 Orange County Grand Jury report titled “E-Bikes: Friend or Foe,” four other school districts in Orange County also require safety training for their students — Capistrano Unified, Huntington Beach Union High School District, Irvine Unified and the Ocean View School District.

“The concerning number that leaps to the eye is that 13 (Orange County school districts) stated that they were unaware of their school district’s participation in e-bike regulation,” the report said.

In a Facebook group for LAHS parents, people voiced their concerns about about e-bike safety after the campus held an assembly on the issue in 2022. A parent was grateful for the school’s effort.

“Awareness needs to be made and stressed to our kids about the dangers of e-bikes if not rode properly and with safety measures in place,” the parent wrote.

“Shouldn’t the parents set these restrictions at home knowing how dangerous it could be not only if your child is hurt but they are putting a lot of stress on other kids walking home and drivers?” another person wrote in response and added, “I’ve seen kids come out of nowhere. They probably don’t even know the rules of the road.”

Kingston Benard, a freshman at LAHS, often rides his e-bike to and from school. But, recently, he was hit by a car while riding in a bike lane, and Kingston claims that the car was speeding.

“I had no idea there was a car behind me. He hit me from behind, and I flew forward and rolled,” Benard said.

Fortunately, Benard only sustained minor injuries, as he fell on his backpack. However, he did not change his mind about riding his e-bike, and he blames the driver for the accident.

Benard believes that if roads were more accommodating to bike riders, students like him would be safer in the future.

Jeff Sisk from Jax Bicycle Center told Spotlight Schools that there are plenty of commuters who take their bikes to work or school without a problem because they follow the laws, which is a key aspect in the safety issue of e-bikes, he said.

“A lot of safety is going to come from one rider being safe and following the law and rules,” Sisk said. He explained that being aware of the varying regulations on e-bikes, following traffic laws and staying visible on the road can all help a rider stay safe and prevent dangerous consequences.

Cities urged to respond to e-bikes

While following traffic laws can help keep everyone safer, it appears many cities are still working on local ordinances on e-bikes. The recent O.C. Grand Jury report on e-bikes stressed the need for consistency in e-bike safety education and enforcement in cities and communities, due to an increasing number of e-bike-related deaths and injuries.

“The majority of Orange County’s 34 cities do not have ordinances or policies in place, which makes it difficult to address the safe operation and regulation of E-bikes leading to confusion,” the report said.

Because of this, the O.C. Grand Jury recommends that each city takes measures to develop policies enforcing e-bike safety, as well as create programs to educate communities about proper e-bike usage.

Whether it is on the way to school or riding around with friends, kids can still take measures to stay safe — wearing a helmet, following traffic laws and being aware of their surroundings — while cities and schools attempt to catch up with the e-bike craze.

This story was published on Griffin Gazette on November 15, 2024.