A 12-year-old from Laguna Niguel is pushing Orange County cities to overhaul e-bike safety rules after watching two of his friends get seriously hurt in crashes. Alex Guess started an online petition calling for changes including a minimum riding age of 16, mandatory speedometers, and licensing requirements for young riders, and he has spent months taking his pitch directly to city councils across the county.
Guess said most of his classmates in Laguna Niguel own an e-bike, and he told his story to NBC Los Angeles, saying he has watched many riders go too fast, ignore basic rules and take unnecessary risks. Two of his friends have gotten into serious e-bike crashes, he said, and it is that firsthand experience that pushed him from talking about the problem to trying to do something about it. He first pitched what he called an unthought-out version of his proposal back in May, and has since refined it through public testimony and door-to-door canvassing.
What the Petition Actually Asks For
Guess's proposal does not seek to stop kids from riding e-bikes altogether. Instead, his petition calls for a minimum riding age of 16, licensing and a safety test for young riders, mandatory speedometers on e-bikes, and a youth safety fund supported by fines that would also hold parents accountable, according to the same NBC Los Angeles report. He said the goal is simply making sure children ride safely, not banning a form of transportation that has become part of daily life for kids his age.
His father, Michael Guess, said he is proud of his son's initiative. The younger Guess has attended city council meetings across Orange County and asked the San Clemente City Council specifically to support e-bike safety reform on a countywide basis, per the report.
Officials From Laguna Niguel to Irvine Are Listening
The campaign has picked up real institutional traction. Guess has received support from elected officials in Laguna Niguel, San Clemente, Aliso Viejo and Irvine, and his petition has collected over 700 signatures across 35 Orange County cities, backed by officials including Laguna Niguel Mayor Ray Gennawey, according to his Change.org petition.
Assemblywoman Laurie Davies, who represents South Orange County, met virtually with Guess, and her staff said they look forward to working with him, per the NBC Los Angeles report. Guess wants state lawmakers to consider allowing local communities to test their own e-bike rules.
A Legal Landscape Already in Motion
California has some local e-bike restrictions. Under California Vehicle Code Section 312.5, legal e-bikes are split into three classes, with Class 3 pedal-assist models capped at 28 mph and restricted to riders 16 and older, while Class 1 and 2 models cap out at 20 mph with no statewide minimum age, per Velosurance.
Several new state laws taking effect this year add further layers of enforcement. They require UL safety certification for e-bike batteries under SB 1271, mandate all-hours red rear visibility under AB 544, and, under AB 875, authorize police to impound vehicles ridden by children under 16 that do not meet the e-bike definition or exceed 20 mph under specified conditions, for a minimum 48-hour hold, according to Go Safely CA.
The Medical Toll Behind the Push
The urgency behind campaigns like Guess's is grounded in hospital data. Pediatric emergency trauma activations for e-bike injuries at Children's Hospital of Orange County jumped from a single case in 2021 to 201 patients in 2025, making it the leading cause of emergency trauma visits at the facility, according to CHOC Pediatrica. Hospital researchers found that crashes above 20 mph significantly increased pediatric head and facial trauma, underscoring the stakes behind Guess's push for lower speeds and stricter licensing.
Orange County officials have moved on multiple fronts this year to address the same problem. The issue has also been covered by LAist. Reports have also described a parent being charged after a child's use of an illegal e-motorcycle, including an Aliso Viejo mother charged after a Lake Forest fatal crash.
Amazon halted sales of certain high-speed e-bikes in May. At the state level, Assembly Bill 2346, introduced by Assemblymember Lori Wilson, proposes statewide youth e-bike speed limits and point-of-sale education.
For now, Guess's campaign remains a grassroots effort built city council meeting by city council meeting, but with a mayoral endorsement, an assemblywoman's office and more than 700 petition signatures behind him, the 12-year-old has managed to put a kid's-eye view of e-bike safety in front of the officials who write the rules.
