The Irvine City Council approved new e-bike safety regulations on Feb. 10, in response to an increase in e-bike-related injuries.
This revision limits e-bikes and other micromobility devices to 5 mph in school zones when children are present, 10 mph on sidewalks and 20 mph on bicycle paths and trails. In contrast, the previous law only imposed a speed limit of 28 mph on all streets. The Irvine Police Department may issue citations and fines to parents or guardians if their children break the law. This would not be the case for every violation, though: Juveniles could be required to attend an updated e-bike safety presentation, where students practice maneuvering skills in controlled scenarios to mirror real-life situations.
“We found that the [state] laws were not always entirely clear, especially with how popular e-bikes have become,” said motor officer Jason Scheafer, who helped prepare the new regulations. “We understand students are just trying to get to school, and we’re not trying to get in the way of that. The goal is not punishment; it’s education and making sure people get to school safely.”
IPD first brought the proposal on Jan. 20 to the Transportation Commission, which recommended it for council approval.
However, some Northwood students still disagree with the new e-bike regulations.
“I feel like there would be no point in using the bike then,” junior Tara Lee said. “The reason I bike to school is because it’s faster for me to bike instead of having my parents drive me because of all the traffic … Keeping track of how fast I could go would be distracting.”
In response to student concerns, Scheafer emphasized that e-bike assist and speed settings can be directly adjusted on most electric vehicles.
Scheafer also explained that the previous IUSD regulations of having students attend an IPD safety presentation and submit a parent- or guardian-signed form to ride their e-bike to school were not always effective. Although students would receive warnings, detentions and suspension of parking privileges if they broke any rules, speeding remains a common occurrence at Northwood, according to assistant principal Christina Banagas-Engelerdt.
“We’ve had videos sent to us of students riding their e-bikes in the middle of the street at full speed, while cars are legally driving on the right side of the road,” Banagas-Engelerdt said. “We’ve also had students coming through the parking lot at full speed, which is dangerous because people are backing out. Anything that would help us keep students safe would be a good thing.”
IPD will be conducting outreach with local e-bike retailers to promote the new speed limits, with thoughts of installing additional signage in high-traffic areas as part of a 30-day public education campaign before enforcing the new provisions. Scheafer said police officers would also have the discretion to decide to give juveniles a verbal or written warning instead of a penalty.
“A lot of us are parents too, [and] we want to make sure that you have the same opportunities we would want for our children to get to school safely,” Scheafer said. “Don’t be afraid to talk to us. Don’t be afraid to ask us questions. We would rather talk to a student and have them not break the law, than have to pull them over.”
