Growing up, my friends Andrik and Arvin filled our weekends with thrilling bike rides around Orange County. But now, those same streets hold painful memories, as they both suffered serious wrist and arm injuries from e-bike accidents. It's a sight no loved one should endure, and it is a tragedy that has become all too common.

An alarming report by CHOC reveals a harrowing 1557% increase in e-bike-related deaths among 11 to 14-year-olds. This statistic is a call to action—a cry for urgent reforms to safeguard our community's youth. Our children deserve better protection and education when it comes to navigating roads on e-bikes.

Therefore, I urge immediate implementation of the following five-point e-bike reform:

1. Prohibit e-bike usage for individuals under 16 years of age. Youths lack the maturity and experience needed to safely handle the speeds of e-bikes, and keeping them off these bikes can prevent unnecessary fatalities.* 

2. Mandate all e-bike manufacturers to incorporate speedometers. Speed awareness is crucial for riders to maintain safe velocities, minimizing the risk of accidents.

3. Require all e-bike riders to obtain a county-issued e-bike license. Licensing implies a basic level of competency and responsible behavior on the road. This can inculcate a culture of safety and accountability among young riders. This e-bike license can be obtained by taking a rules-of-the-road test.

4. Impose a $160 fine for any illegal e-bike riding or speeding infractions, especially targeting parents or guardians of offenders under 18 years old. This accountability encourages parents to monitor and educate their children effectively.

5. Channel fines into a Youth Bike Safety Fund to support initiatives and research focused on bike safety and infrastructure improvements. This fund is essential for fostering a safer cycling environment across the community.

Together, these measures can substantially reduce the risks associated with e-bikes, creating safer neighborhoods for our children. Let's not wait until another tragic accident underscores the urgent need for change.

I ask for your support in signing this petition and contributing towards a proactive, preventative approach to ensure that e-bikes become no longer a source of pain and suffering, but a means of joyful and safe transportation. Our children's lives and well-being depend on it. Please sign and share to amplify this vital cause. 


* means: An exception to this will happen in the case of under-16s who have a clean riding record prior to this ban, but only with Class I, pedal assisted bikes. Class II and III bikes and  non-pedal assisted Class I bikes would still be banned in whole for under-16s. The under-16s with the clean record still would have to take the rules on the road test and get an ebike ID to ride.