E-bike crashes are increasing across Southern California
We have all seen them.
Maybe you were driving your kids to school and saw a bunch of school kids “popping wheelies” on Hauser Boulevard or Crescent Heights.
Maybe you saw UCLA students returning to campus and riding in a pack in Westwood.
E-bikes are the fastest growing mode of transportation for children and young adults. E-bikes became more popular around Covid time, although they have been around for a while.
So what do you need to know about Los Angeles E-bikes and E-bike crashes?
For one, the law treats E-bikes the same as regular bicycles. What that means is that children under the age of 18 must wear helmets, pursuant to the California Vehicle Code.
E-bike riders must also ride in the same direction as traffic. Whether one can ride an E-bike on the sidewalk varies from city to city. For example, in Riverside or some parts of Huntington Beach, sidewalk riding is prohibited. Sidewalk riding is permitted in Los Angeles, as long the activity is not done in “wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.”
With the growing popularity of E-bikes in Los Angeles and Southern California, hospital emergency rooms are seeing more youngsters being admitted for serious e-bike injuries. Police officers believe that many of these young riders are not familiar with the power e-bikes possess. They are also not familiar with the rules of the road, leading to more collisions.
The Los Angeles Daily News published a comprehensive article discussing E-bikes and E-bike crashes last week. You can find the article here.
If your children are new to the E-bike phenomenon, it’s important that you sit them down and discuss E-bike safety tips with them.
For questions about a Los Angeles, Huntington Beach, or Orange County E-bike crash or injuries, reach out to a knowledgeable E-bike lawyer who can answer your questions.
