Summary
August 30, 2024
The Honorable Governor Gavin Newsom
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, California 95814
Re: Request for signature for AB 1778, pilot program in Marin County to restrict under 16 from operating class 2 e-bikes and require all riders to wear helmets
Dear Governor Newsom,
On behalf of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, I respectfully urge your signature on AB 1778 (Connolly), which will authorize the County of Marin and Marin’s incorporated cities and towns to establish a voluntary pilot program which would allow riders under the age of 16 to only operate Class 1 e-bikes, and require all riders of Class 2 e-bikes to wear a helmet.
E-bikes have significantly higher rates of serious injuries for riders; especially for riders under 16 who may not be well-versed in the rules of the road. This bill would provide a pilot program in Marin County for jurisdictions to set an age limit of 16 for riders of Class 2 e-bikes, which are operated with a throttle and do not require pedal-assist. Riders under 16 would still be allowed to operate Class 1, pedal-assisted e-bikes.
From 2019 to 2022, the number of 911 responses in Marin related to all bicycle accidents rose 110% among school-aged youth (marinhhs.org/bicycle-safety). Pediatricians and emergency room physicians were also alarmed by the increasing severity of the trauma injuries. In response, in October 2023 the County’s Emergency Medical Services authorities began distinguishing 911 responses to e-bike accidents, versus conventional bicycles. In the first ten months of collecting this data, Marin responders saw that:
- 22% of all 911 bicycle accidents were related to e-bikes. This figure was 71% for school-aged children.
- The rate of e-bike accidents for 10 to 15-year-olds was 5x higher than for all other age groups.
Especially concerning, trauma surgeons and emergency room doctors in Marin were seeing that e-bike injuries are not just scraped knees and bruised elbows, but rather, severe injuries that are more commonly seen from motor vehicle accidents such as internal bleeding, pelvic fractures, damage to vital organs, and brain trauma.
Under AB 1778, Marin County jurisdictions would be able to adopt local ordinances which would require Class 2 e-bikes riders to be over 16, and all riders to wear helmets. Class 1 e-bikes, which are pedal-assisted and do not have a throttle, would remain operable for all ages. Class 3 e-bikes are already regulated statewide and require riders to be over 16.
We support AB 1778’s age-limit pilot in Marin County, and the legislation would also create an opportunity to collect more data on how to effectively protect our youth from serious injury, while still encouraging the use of Class 1 e-bikes for youth under 16. We see this pilot as an opportunity to strike a balance between sustainable transportation and addressing the need for enhanced e-bike safety measures.
For the above reasons, Marin County respectfully urges your signature for AB 1778.
Sincerely,
Dennis Rodoni
President, Marin County Board of Supervisors
Cc: Marin County Board of Supervisors
Senator Mike McGuire
Assemblymember Damon Connolly
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