SAN DIEGO — Major changes may be coming to anyone who wants to ride electric bikes in California. A newly introduced bill would ban kids from riding e-bikes and require some people to take a written test and have an ID.
Children under the age of 12 years old would no longer be allowed to operate e-bikes.
"They don't have that sense of safety that they probably should," said Melissa, who lives in Carlsbad.
Lawmakers say the goal is to promote safety but not everyone is onboard.
"Kids should be able to take a tumble every once in a while. That's how kids learn," said Charles, a Carlsbad resident.
"I will say it's pretty cool to see maybe a youngster riding an e-bike to school and it saves mom and dad like the trip," said Del Mar resident Bo Templin.
Under the bill, only people 12 and older would be allowed to drive an e-bike.
"We're seeing this throughout the state of California. We need to really educate our youth and just having optional training is not enough," Tasha Boerner, California assembly member.
The proposed law comes as electric bikes are becoming increasingly popular, however the number of e-bike crashes locally and nationwide are also rising.
Boerner introduced the bill. She says anyone without a driver's license would be required to take an online safety course and pass a written test. Those riders without a driver's license would also have to get a valid state issued I.D.
"To enforce the rules of the road you need to know who that is. If you have a 12 or 13 year old they don't have that ID," she said.
When it comes to enforcement, she says cities would be allowed to create their own rules. Offenders might take classes similar to drivers ed but for bikes. Boerner says fees could be avoided by doing community service.
"I don't like that every single thing needs to be regulated these days but at the same time safety is important," Melissa said.
The bill would not impact other types of electric devices like e-scooters or hoverboards.
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