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California Set to Roll Out Safety Standards for E-Bike Riders

Last week alone, four San Diego bike riders lost their lives on the road including a Carlsbad mother, Rhatigan said

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As battery-powered bicycles grow in popularity, safety concerns are increasing too.

“Some nights I’m walking around and see people going really fast without helmets,” said Meghan Sil, a San Diego resident.

“I have heard stories of young kids without a helmet, multiplying two or three on one bike,” said Hailey Hilton, a San Diego resident.

So this week Gov. Newsom signed a bill that will provide funds to the California Highway Patrol to develop statewide standards for e-bike riders.

That program will be available online for any school, employer, or anyone else to access if they want to provide e-bike education,” said William Rhatigan, advocacy director for the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. “I think it's a great step in the right direction.”

But he believes more needs to be done to keep riders safe.

“It helps have people know how to ride their bikes, that's important,” said Rhatigan. “But what's much more important is having high-quality bike lanes, separate bike trails, separated bikeways, traffic controlled.”

Rhatigan said last week alone, four San Diego bike riders lost their lives on the road including a Carlsbad mother who was hit by a car while riding her e-bike with her 16-month-old daughter.

"Please don't let my wife's loss of life go in vain," the heartbroken man told the city council on Tuesday night.

Her family plead before the Carlsbad City Council this week to take action.

“We were supposed to live 40 more years together,” said the woman's husband. “We were supposed to grow old and gray together. My daughter running around doesn't have a mom.”

The CHP has until September 2023 to roll out the program. Advocates and riders hope it’s the first step toward more e-bike safety legislation.

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