Special Committee on Youth E-Bike Safety

As a community which has long supported and celebrated active transportation, Marin County has a been an early adopter of e-bikes. After seeing a rise in both the popularity of e-bikes among school-aged youth and in serious injuries for these young riders; there is an urgent need for a partnered, coordinated approach to effectively address youth e-bike safety countywide.

From 2019 to 2022, 911 calls in Marin related to all bikes rose 110% among school-aged youth. To better understand this alarming trend, in 2023 Public Health began to be collect data on 911 accidents involving e-bikes vs. conventional bikes. That data has shown us that the e-bike accident rate in Marin for 10-15 year olds is 5x higher than for all other age groups. On conventional bikes, 10-15 year olds have a 1.5x higher accident rate compared to other age groups.

Marin’s emergency room physicians have also raised particular concern that e-bike-related injuries among teens can be significantly more severe than those from conventional bicycle accidents, due to the higher speeds and heavier weight of e-bikes. E-bike injuries can more closely resemble those seen in motor vehicle collisions—such as internal bleeding, pelvic fractures, organ damage, and traumatic brain injuries.

There are 3 types of legal e-bikes in California (State Vehicle Code Section 312.5):

• Class 1: Pedal-assist only (no throttle), max. assisted speed 20mph
• Class 2: Has a throttle (no pedaling required), max. assisted-speed 20mph
• Class 3*: Pedal-assist only (no throttle), max. assisted speed 28mph *Existing state law already requires Class 3 riders to be over 16

The creation of this Special Committee is consistent with the recommendation of the Marin County Civil Grand Jury, and reflects the need to coordinate effective education, outreach, local policies, and enforcement strategies across Marin. The Committee will focus on an education-first approach.

This includes 1) implementing a countywide public education campaign; and 2) implementation considerations/advocacy on state and federal laws, including AB 1778 (Connolly, 2024).

The Special Committee advises and provides policy recommendations to School Boards, City Councils and the Board of Supervisors. The Committee is advisory in nature and does not have the authority to approve, deny, or require jurisdictional policies. The Committee will sunset when 1) public education strategies have been developed; 2) proposed policy changes have been established; and 3) there is a shared understanding of enforcement strategies across jurisdictions.

In its meetings, the Committee has focused on:

• Bicycle Safety dashboard, which has been collecting data on 911 bicycle accidents (guide on how to use the dashboard)
• Safe Routes to Schools E-Bike education initiatives
• State legislative updates related to e-bikes, including AB 1778 (Connolly) which authorizes Marin County jurisdictions to prohibit children under 16 from operating Class 2 e-bikes
• A public education campaign focused on youth e-bike safety in Marin

The Committee has highlighted the need for countywide consistency in implementing AB 1778 ordinances, and coordination with a countywide public education campaign. AB 1778 allows Marin County jurisdictions to pass local ordinances that would do the following:

Marin's jurisdictions will consider AB 1778 ordinances this spring, to become effective in time for back-to-school in August 2025. The public education campaign will launch in late May 2025.

The County and TAM worked with a local marketing agency to launch a countywide Youth E-Bike Safety Public Education Campaign: E-Bikers Club. The campaign's core goals were developed with input from the Special Committee, and aims to educate the public on the disproportionate safety risks e-bikes pose to young riders, and will specifically promote:

• Pedal-assist e-bikes for young riders (Class 1)
• Using local retailers for purchasing legal, age-appropriate e-bikes, and for regular maintenance to keep e-bikes in safe, working order
• Safe riding, including helmet usage, no tandem riding unless bike is built for passengers, and adherence to traffic laws

Read the News Release on the launch of the campaign

Members

Supervisor Mary Sackett, Board of Supervisors
Dr. Lisa Santora, Marin County Public Health Officer
Anne Richman, Director, Transportation Authority of Marin
Molly Graham, Public Outreach Coordinator, Transportation Authority of Marin
Lt. Scott Jensen, Marin County Sheriff’s Office
Chief Rick Navarro, Marin County Police Chiefs Association
Mike Grant, Assistant Superintendent, Marin County Office of Education
Councilmember Melissa Blaustein, City of Sausalito
Councilmember Rachel Kertz, City of San Rafael
Councilmember Max Perrey, City of Mill Valley
Captain Amy Newton, Lt. Erik Egide, California Highway Patrol - Marin Area
Brett Thurber, Karen Wiener, The New Wheel

Advisors

Gwen Froh, Safe Routes to School
Dr. John Maa, Past-Chief of General and Acute Care Surgery, Marin General Hospital

Staff

Talia Smith, Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, County of Marin
Julia Reinhard, Aide to Supervisor Sackett
Megan Do, E-Bike Public Education Campaign Manager
Bria Larson, Marin County Public Health
Ari Golan, Marin County Parks

• Marin IJ: New e-bike rules taking effect across Marin (July 3, 2025)
• Marin IJ: Marin campaign promotes new e-bikes safety laws (June 3, 2025)
• Marin IJ Editorial: Marin’s new e-bike rules make sense (April 6, 2025)
• Marin IJ: Marin County supervisors back e-bike restrictions for youths (March 26, 2025)
• CBS News: Marin County closer to banning certain e-bikes for youth under 16 (March 26, 2025)
• SF Chronicle: Marin County votes to ban this type of e-bike for kids under 16 (March 25, 2025)
• KTVU: Marin County supervisors approve e-bike ordinance, banning use for children under 16 (March 25, 2025)
• ABC7: Marin Co. could be 1st in CA to prohibit kids under 16 years old from riding Class 2 e-bikes (March 23, 2025)