With the summer approaching, the number of teenage riders on electric two-wheelers in Southern California has been on the rise. They often zoom through streets or parking lots, posing a collision risk to pedestrians or drivers who may not have enough time to avoid them. Doctors at a medical facility in Los Angeles have noticed a rapid increase in the number of injuries related to such accidents.
Last Friday, the Murrieta Police Department in Riverside County conducted special enforcement at Cole Canyon Park, issuing over twenty related citations. The police department mentioned that gatherings of electric bike riders, typically comprised of 20 to 40 riders in the middle and high school age range, have been observed at parks or commercial parking lots, violating multiple California and city regulations.
Some riders have been using social media to share information about their riding activities, resulting in groups of teenagers crowding the streets and alleys. Law enforcement agencies are concerned that some of these gatherings might even lead to violent incidents. Police departments in several areas have already started to step up their enforcement efforts.
Electric two-wheelers include low-speed electric bicycles (e-bikes) and high-speed lightweight motorcycles (mopeds/motorized bicycles) or electric motorcycles. In the past two years, the Murrieta Police Department has handled over 1,300 related complaints, including 78 traffic accidents, which resulted in injuries to 75 individuals and one fatality.
Doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles mentioned in a recent interview with CBS that the number of severe injuries from high-speed lightweight motorcycle accidents is steadily increasing.
One doctor mentioned that the trauma team at the hospital found injuries caused by electric two-wheelers including head trauma, brain injuries, facial and arm fractures, as well as extensive abrasions. The majority of the injured patients are teenagers. The doctors noted that some children are just looking to have fun but end up experiencing catastrophic injuries.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has also seen a significant increase in the number of children injured due to electric two-wheelers. A doctor stated that they treated 6 such accident patients in 2023, 12 in 2024, 34 in 2025, and have already admitted 21 cases in the first 5 months of this year. The injured individuals include riders as well as pedestrians who were struck.
Within California, the State Department of Justice has noted a rapid increase in safety incidents caused by these vehicles on sidewalks, parks, and streets. In a notice released in April, California Attorney General Rob Bonta clearly emphasized that many high-speed vehicles that appear to be electric bicycles or are marketed as such might actually belong to the category of mopeds or lightweight motorcycles if their speed exceeds limits. Riders must meet age requirements, obtain relevant licenses, and adhere to traffic rules.
California classifies electric bicycles into three categories: the first category with a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour, with only pedal assistance; the second category with a similar speed limit and throttle assistance, limited to riders aged 12 and above. Riders under 18 must wear helmets for both of these categories. The third category has a speed limit of 28 miles per hour, only pedal assistance, requiring riders to be at least 16 years old and wear helmets.
According to California law, vehicles with speeds exceeding 28 miles per hour and using foot pedal-assisted electric two-wheelers (including modified vehicles), as well as those equipped with throttle assistance and speeds exceeding 20 miles per hour, fall under the category of lightweight motorcycles or motorcycles; riders must possess M1 or M2 motorcycle licenses.
Bicycles or electric bicycles are promoted as an alternative mode of transportation in California to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, but speeding can lead to dangers. Studies have shown that from 2017 to 2022, the number of injured riders of electric bikes in the United States nearly doubled each year; in San Diego, between 2019 and 2023, the number of injured riders under 18 surged by 300%.
In April, a 14-year-old teenager in Orange County collided with an elderly person while riding an electric motorcycle, leading to the victim’s passing two weeks later. The teenager fled the scene at the time; his mother is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, with a maximum sentence of 7 years and 8 months if convicted.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer stated, “Parents have no excuse to hand over the keys to motorcycles to their children without proper training, licenses, and maturity to take responsibility.”