Bay Area streets may soon see fewer young teens on electric bikes if local lawmakers have their way. Assemblymember Damon Connolly, a Democrat from San Rafael, is spearheading an initiative to curb the booming trend among minors using electric bikes, specifically those requiring no pedaling, known as Class Two e-bikes. "My proposed legislation prohibits individuals under the age of 16 from operating what are known as Class Two electric bicycles," Connolly stated, as reported by KGO-TV.

These e-bikes can reach speeds up to 20 miles per hour and sometimes are tweaked to go even faster. The spike in accidents involving these bikes, particularly among the youth, has raised concerns. Citing new data from the Marin County Health Department, "age group is nine times more likely to get into accident with an e-bike and that three out every four bicycle accidents involved e-bikes," according to KGO-TV.

Connolly addressed the public in a press conference alongside a supporter of the legislation @Sackett4Sup2022 to discuss details of proposed measures to reinforce electric bicycle safety. Among the recommendations, the legislation will also require people of all ages riding a Class Two e-bike to don a helmet.

Today, @Sackett4Sup2022 and I hosted a press conference discussing legislation to address electric bicycle safety. To watch the conference, click here: https://t.co/Hhxpm5ZX1S pic.twitter.com/cGagef0SRT

— Assemblymember Damon Connolly (@AsmConnolly) December 22, 2023

Medical professionals are ringing alarm bells regarding the severity of injuries from these accidents. "These are injuries that are not like the scraped knees and bruised elbows that we would expect from a traditional bike accident," Dr. Heyman Oo, Pediatrician President of the San Francisco Marin Medical Society, told KGO-TV. Oo highlighted the gravity of such injuries, noting they often include "internal bleeding, pelvic fractures, damage to internal organs and brain trauma."

While the legislation is still in the proposal stage, it has found some support among residents. Steve Larson, a local who chooses to pedal rather than throttle around the city, expressed agreement with the safety-first approach. "I kind of like the idea, yeah," Larson said, adding that the age limit makes sense "Because the kids are kind of running around crazy, so yeah I think you have to be a little older."