Eden Kwan
Whirrrrrrrrrr. This unnatural electric whine now defines how many teenagers get around. Electric bikes, or e-bikes, have steadily grown in popularity around the Bay Area, such that e-bikes are now the number one growth driver for the bike industry. These multi-thousand dollar vehicles are primarily used by children, none looking older than 18 and most looking younger than 16.
“[E-bikes are] a lot more convenient than just … walking everywhere,” said junior Jake Wang. “I would just take the e-bike wherever I wanted to go, like if it was to the park or to a neighbor’s house.”
Despite the flexibility that e-bikes provide, they have very loose — if not nonexistent — enforcement of regulations. E-bikes are a growing safety concern for the minors using them and the drivers who must pay extra attention to avoid bikes that can exceed 45 miles per hour. The lack of enforcement, especially in the Bay Area, means that kids can use their e-bikes freely without fear of consequence, potentially putting them in serious danger.
“[I]t’s almost to that point where they can get 30 [to] 40 miles an hour,” said junior Nick Nassib. There might need to be some stricter regulation,” “[K]eeping kids safe is super important, and a lot of kids just don’t really know that much better when it comes to … the traffic laws and how fast they should be going and how to stay safe.”
In California, there are different classifications for e-bikes, which differentiate speed capabilities, among other factors. However, the highest legal speed limit for motor assistance is 28 miles per hour, which is anecdotally not being followed. Many e-bikes go faster, which means many of these kids are breaking the law.
“I have gone up to 45 [miles per hour],” said junior Antone Abuyaghi. “My e-bike is not street legal.”
However, many people would point to a bigger problem: there is no license — and therefore no license plate — required for these ebikes.
“One time, my friend didn’t stop at a stop sign, and the car … going the other direction … didn’t have one, so they almost ran into each other,” Abuyaghi said.
With all this in mind, it’s important to look at the actual consequences — do ebike accident statistics affirm these risks? Despite having over 39 million people in California, there were only 3,429 accidents in 2023, up from 184 in 2018, in the whole state of California according to Banafsheh, Danesh & Javid injury lawyers.
“It’s fine the way it is right now” Abuyaghi said. “[There are] a few bad apples who give … e-bikers a bad [reputation]. But overall, it’s alright.”
Although a few kids misuse their e-bikes and put themselves in harm’s way, e-bikes are a fun way to get around town, and many kids use them responsibly.
“[My friends and I] were all very safe,” Wang said. “We practiced safety procedures, like wearing helmets, and we always went below the speed limit.”
As a result, for many kids, ebikes were, or still are, a core part of their childhood. Being unable to drive, either because of affordability issues or age restrictions, an ebike offers a quick, easy and — most importantly — independent method of transportation. Not to mention the fun that can be had, whether that be racing friends or doing tricks. E-bikes suffer from a lack of strict enforcement and multiple other dangers, while also representing youth and growing independence.
