E-bike usage tightening for Marin adolescents

MILL VALLEY, Calif. - Marin, one of the nation's wealthiest counties, is wrestling with a high-tech problem: e-bikes gone wild, in the hands of youngsters.  

The situation has risen to the level of schools trying to protect students from themselves.

The Tamalpais Union High School District is considering requiring students who ride e-bikes to school to register their bikes with the schools. Those bikes must be of a speed class legal for their age.

Also under consideration is the banning of modified e-bikes that would allow them to exceed the maximum legal speed of 20 miles an hour. 

"We'll be working with not only our law enforcement partners but…across the county, this is something a lot of districts are looking at doing in concert, so we can be uniform in how we're addressing these concerns," said Tamalpais Union Superintendent Tara Taupier. 

"We're not just working with the Tam High Union District on this. We're working with our middle schools and our elementary schools to push out this messaging because we don't want them being purchased in fifth grade or eighth grade…" said Chief Michael Norton of the Central Marin Police Department.

The Marin County Health Department says the accident rate for children on e-bikes is nearly 10 times the rate for older age groups. 

U.S. National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data shows that e-bikes are more than three times more likely to be involved in a collision with a pedestrian than powered scooters or regular pedal bikes. 

"I lived in a community of 55 and older, and we have a lot of issues with that. I've seen them go right down Doherty Drive like they are a car, without helmets," said Marin resident Tina High.

Add to that, often going the wrong way on a one-way street, their phones, ignoring stop signs and traffic lights, driving in the dark with no lights, making illegal turns, and jumping in front of traffic. 

"When I drive and there's an e-bike nearby, I always wonder if they know what they're doing," said Marin resident Jill Debroff.

It would be one thing if these e-bikes stuck to the rules, stuck to their lanes and stuck to the speed limit. Unfortunately, there have been enough shenanigans, in enough places, that finally it's getting to the level of considering restrictions or even outright bans. 

"I do see that they do dangerous things sometimes, but I think that comes from the speed mostly. I think if they were able to just get it to slow down a little bit it would be better," said Marin resident Sonja Saylor.

Though this is the case of a few causing problems for safe e-bikers, prepare for more rules and restrictions.