Police: New bike styles cause confusion

“If a vehicle can do it, or can’t do it, then so can or can’t a bicycle. If a vehicle approaches a stop sign, the vehicle is required to stop, and so is the bicycle,” said San Mateo police Officer Julio Jolivette during a community meeting July 22. “If the driver of the vehicle is prohibited from using a cellphone when driving, then so is the bicycle.”

While state law allows bikes to ride on the sidewalk, city policy requires them to use the road.

E-bikes generally fall into three different rules of classes, up to Class III, which provide assistance when pedaling and go up to 28 mph.

But parents and minors often don’t understand that any motorized bikes and mopeds, electric or not, don’t have the same leeway. Both, which by definition are capable of hitting up to 30 mph, follow regulations more similar to motorcycles than bicycles. That means a driver’s license, license plate and helmet are all required, and driving in bike lanes is also prohibited.

Jolivette also noted that providing such vehicles to those without a license is a crime. That’s especially important for parents, who often don’t understand that their child isn’t legally allowed to ride their motorized bike, or there are more stringent regulations in place on where and how it can be ridden, he said.

“Don’t let manufacturers fool you. Oftentimes, I’ve noticed that with a lot of these manufacturers, they think that if it is set at a certain speed, it’s an e-bike. Pursuant to California standards, what it's sold at is irrelevant. What it’s capable of meeting is the standard for these e-bikes,” Jolivette said. “So if they set it at 20 mph, but with a snip of a wire, it brings it to 70 mph … it’s a motorcycle.”

The motorized bikes are also not to be confused with off-highway motorcycles, which are not permitted at all on roads or sidewalks throughout the state.

“We do see quite a few of these in our city … there is some confusion from parents that they think they’re getting their kids an e-bike,” police Officer Nick Ryan said. “They’re not permitted at places like Sugarloaf Park or local parks where there are hiking trails or even bike trails”

While there haven’t been any serious injuries or fatalities from the motorized bikes in the city thus far, Ryan said, it’s caused safety concerns from residents and law enforcement.

“Our biggest concern is the safety of kids,” Ryan said. “We've had some collisions, and fortunately we’ve been lucky so far, but we want to make sure that if kids are getting these, that they are used properly.”