Orange County is experiencing a continued rise in e-bike related deaths, injuries, and felony charges, leading to an ongoing debate about the most effective strategies to address these incidents. While some argue that education and enforcement are crucial, others emphasize the need for significant infrastructure improvements.
Local jurisdictions across Orange County have implemented diverse strategies, including adjustments to local laws and educational initiatives. Earlier this month, the Orange County District Attorney’s office, led by D.A. Spitzer, hosted an e-bike buyback program, typically reserved for firearms, at Angel Stadium. This initiative aimed to remove e-bikes from streets and disseminate safety education. However, the $100,000 allocated for gift cards for returned bikes was depleted halfway through the event, despite hundreds of residents participating.
Spitzer stated that the buyback is one component of a broader plan to reduce e-bike related fatalities, encompassing education, prosecution, and infrastructure efforts. He noted, "I’m trying everything I can do. We have law enforcement, we have education, I have my prosecution." Yet, as incidents increase, bike-friendly infrastructure has largely remained unaddressed, even as policing efforts have intensified.
For many, education and infrastructure solutions have been slow to materialize. Jesse Hayes, an Orange County resident, suffered a traumatic brain injury in October 2024 after being struck by a car while riding his e-bike in Huntington Beach. His mother, Kasey Hayes, urged parents at the buyback event to understand the risks of e-bikes before purchasing them for children. She highlighted that not all injured riders are reckless, stating, "There is a misconception of these kids that get hit, they’re all riding reckless, they’re all doing wheelies, they’re all out of control. That’s not true." Jesse, who was described as a safe rider, remains in recovery two years later.
Kasey Hayes pointed to multiple factors contributing to e-bike unsafety, including "inadequate bike lanes, distracted drivers, kids not riding them properly." This raises the question of whether e-bikes, even when operated safely, inherently pose risks.
Anjali Tapadia, an e-bike user and chair of Fullerton's Active Transport Committee, expressed concern that the buyback program negatively portrays e-bikes as dangerous objects, similar to guns. She views e-bikes as beneficial tools that foster community and connection, allowing residents to engage with their surroundings in ways difficult when driving. Tapadia believes the most impactful change cities could implement to protect cyclists is dedicated bike lanes, offering varying levels of protection from vehicles. She noted that many collisions at intersections result from poor road design that places cyclists and drivers in conflict rather than resolving it.
Research from the Mineta Transportation Institute and San Jose State University supports the view that updated infrastructure is a primary method for cities to prevent e-bike injuries and fatalities. The report indicated that while most e-bike injuries stem from solo accidents, the majority of fatalities involve collisions with other vehicles. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) currently offers support for bikeway development, planning, and grants for cities to enhance bike infrastructure. According to Megan Abba, an OCTA communications specialist, Orange County has 1,000 miles of bikeways, with 54% of primary roadways featuring a bike lane. The responsibility falls to individual cities to collaborate with OCTA on these plans or secure grants.
Spitzer emphasized education as a critical accident prevention measure, especially for young riders and their parents. "Kids are dying because they don’t understand the vehicles that they’re driving," he stated, stressing a desire for education and responsible riding over prosecution. Tim Weisberg, deputy director of communications and public affairs at the California Office of Traffic Safety, echoed this sentiment, advocating for increased educational opportunities for both riders and parents.
Currently, there is no standardized county-wide direction for e-bike education, leaving individual cities to develop their own programs. Huntington Beach stands out as the only city in Orange County with its own e-bike education program, partnering with local school districts. This 70-minute course, which includes simulated real-world scenarios like emergency braking and proper helmet use, is mandated for students who ride e-bikes to school. It also allows youth cited for improper e-bike riding to waive their citation by attending the course with their parents.
Despite efforts by county and city leaders to regulate e-bike use and plan for safer infrastructure in recent years, injuries, particularly among youth, have surged. Recent incidents include the death of a 13-year-old boy in Garden Grove in May after he collided with a median on an e-motorcycle, and the death of a Cal State Fullerton student last fall after being struck while riding an e-scooter near campus. These incidents underscore the ongoing challenges in ensuring e-bike safety across Orange County, impacting residents like those in Irvine who share these public roads and pathways.
