Others at the meeting expressed concern about modified e-bikes and e-motos.
CARMICHAEL, Calif. — More than 100 people gathered at a community meeting in Carmichael on Monday night as concerns about e-bikes and e-scooters continue to grow across the Sacramento region.
The meeting, hosted by Sacramento County Supervisor Rich Desmond, brought together local leaders, law enforcement officials and riders to discuss safety, speed and accountability as the devices become increasingly common.
The concerns are not just coming from pedestrians.
Bob Kendall with Sacramento Bike Hikers said he frequently sees e-bikes on local trails.
“We see it all over the place in Folsom and Roseville,” Kendall said.
Kendall said speeding e-bikes can create serious safety risks because of their size and weight.
“You collide with one of those. Ah, that’s a problem,” Kendall said.
Others at the meeting expressed concern about modified e-bikes and e-motos.
“These e-motos and modified e-bikes can become deadly weapons. We’ve tragically seen that already happen way too many times in California,”Vic Massenkoff, with the American River Bike Patrol, said.
Those concerns come as California’s attorney general continues cracking down on illegal and modified e-bikes. After several deadly crashes, Amazon stopped selling some high-speed models in California.
Capt. Jaimi Kenyon of the California Highway Patrol’s North Sacramento Area office said some Southern California prosecutors have also pursued charges against parents after children riding e-bikes allegedly caused injuries.
“There have been a couple of cases down south where parents are now being charged, whether it’s contributing to a delinquency of a minor, child neglect or child endangerment for letting their children ride on these things and ride recklessly and cause injury to others,” Capt. Kenyon said.
Officials said the goal is not only enforcement, but also education.
“I think there’s just a big push for community education. There’s so much that we don’t know or just don’t understand and technology has moved so fast that legislation and the law is still trying to play catch up,” Kenyon said.
Desmond said parents should understand the rules before buying an e-bike for their children.
“If you are a parent buying an e-bike for your child, make sure they are using it in a way that is consistent with what the law requires and understand that ultimately you’re responsible for how your child uses one of these devices,” Desmond said.
As proposed e-bike legislation moves through the state Legislature, Desmond said he is working with county staff to determine whether local rules can be changed to improve safety and help prevent future serious incidents.
More from ABC10: California bill could limit how powerful e-bikes can be
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
1
/
12