New Law Bans E-Bike Speed Capacity Devices Already Creating Positive Change In CA

A new law signed earlier this month that bans the selling of devices or products that can modify the speed capacity for electric bikes (e-bikes) has already contributed to safer streets according to new preliminary reports on Tuesday.

Assembly Bill 1774, authored by Assemblywoman Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach), specifically prohibits a person from selling a product or device that can modify the speed capability of an electric bicycle such that it no longer meets the definition of an electric bicycle. According to the fact sheet for the bill, this means stopping any device that could boost the speed of an e-bike above the legally assisted e-bike speed limit of 28 miles per hour.

Assemblywoman Dixon wrote the bill earlier this year to help combat the rise of devices that boost the speeds of e-bikes to above the legal limit. She noted that the issue is a major public safety concern, with the Federal Highway Administration saying in a report that e-bikes were  three times as likely to involve a pedestrian in an accident. The California Highway Patrol said in a different report that e-bike accidents have been more severe than conventional bike accidents.

“No one is opposed to it, it’s just we want safety. Safety features added into these bikes through education and through prohibiting these illegal speed enhancement devices,” said Dixon last month.

Earlier this year, Dixon also explained that the issue was one that she promised to tackle during her term in office, as many in her Orange County district had raised concerns over the speed of e-bikes.

AB 1774 wound up seeing massive support from both Republicans and Democrats in both houses in Sacramento. In May, the bill sailed through Senate committees with unanimous votes, and last month, the bill passed the Senate with a 37-0 vote with only 3 abstentions from Democratic Senators. While the bill was expected to be held until late this summer during the usual Governor signing session, it was instead signed into law on July 3rd.

“I am very pleased to announce that Assembly Bill 1774 has been signed into law,” said Assemblywoman Dixon after the passage of the bill. “This new law will help keep our communities safer and protect our youth by prohibiting the sale and use of E-Bike speed modifying kits. It ensures that people can still enjoy our wonderful communities without having to be on guard for speeding E-Bikes.”

The law wound up having a quick effect. While the law is now only around two weeks old, the impact is already being felt.

Early effects of AB 1774

“Right after we found out about this we had a bunch of little cards be printed up with the law change on them,” explained Diane Henry, a leader of a public safety group in San Diego County who has helped convince some local police departments to closely monitor the speeds of e-bikes, to the Globe on Tuesday. “We gave them to some security people, and they have been giving them to e-bike riders who have been doing this to their bikes. It’s a big-time warning. You know, private security can’t really arrest them for that, but they can report them to police and show proof.

“Within a week either they have all slowed down, or they moved on elsewhere. And it isn’t just here. We have friends in a Santa Clarita neighborhood up near Los Angeles where the same thing happened. And saw a few Orange County groups on Reddit saying the same thing when they had the same idea.”

Val Eisenberg, of the Santa Clarita neighborhood group, expanded on it, saying that “We didn’t expect things to happen so fast. Honestly, we expected many people to ignore it and then come down on them with the police. But we included the website with the bill on it, the official state one where it shows it signed into law. They know a crackdown is coming and coming soon.

“Here, we usually hear a bunch zip by in the afternoon, but since those cards went out, you know, we haven’t heard them. Just a few going by at legal speeds.

“I’ve been getting more cynical about politics the last, well, few decades. I think like most people. But, when a problem comes, a politician listens, the state listens, the Governor listens, and then a law is passed to correct that problem in a meaningful and unobtrusive way? It’s good to know that the system can still work. Dixon didn’t have to hear us out. Newsom didn’t have to sign the bill. Everyone in Sacramento didn’t have to vote for it. But it did.

While no official numbers from the state or local authorities have been released yet, as the law is still very young, initial reports point to AB 1774 being successful.

“I agree, it’s too early on a larger scope,” added Henry. “But warnings on this new law are already having this effect. I can’t wait to see official numbers from San Diego, or the County or the state.”