Two County Supervisors Host Forum on E-Bike, E-Motorcycle Safety and Regulation

Redwood City - With faster electric bikes and electric motorcycles becoming more common, two San Mateo County supervisors on Tuesday called for a countywide response to strengthen safety rules and enforcement, urging clear, consistent standards.

The call came during a town hall hosted by Supervisors Jackie Speier and Ray Mueller, a day after a 16-year-old died after being involved in a traffic collision while riding an electric motorcycle in Half Moon Bay. The forum was scheduled prior to the tragic collision.

"We can't look away from this," Speier said. "This is a public health and safety crisis."

"Heavy on our heart today is the 16-year-old we lost yesterday on the Coastside," Mueller said. "What I really want to stress to everyone assembled today is the importance of one unified action."

Concerns about the dangers posed by e-bikes and e-motorcycles surfaced repeatedly during the discussion, drawing concerned residents and local officials to a room at 500 County Center. A trauma surgeon, the County sheriff and a policy specialist warned that many consumers do not understand the speed, power and legal distinctions between the two.

Speier read a statement from Amelia Stafford, a Marin County teenager whose 2023 crash on an e-bike brought national attention to safety concerns. Stafford suffered a traumatic injury that led to surgeons removing part of her skull.

"My journey with e-bikes began with excitement and independence, but it quickly turned into a life-altering accident," Stafford wrote, adding that "I support continued conversations and thoughtful policies that prioritize safety especially for young riders," so others do not "have to learn these lessons the hard way."

Speier and Mueller said they hope the forum launches a broader effort to develop a model ordinance that could be adopted across San Mateo County and its 20 cities, creating clear and consistent rules across jurisdictions.

Mueller said a countywide framework is critical to avoid confusion for riders and families who want to make informed decisions. Families and riders, he said, should not have to figure out different rules from one city to the next.

"What will make the biggest difference is one unified voice - school districts, cities, the County and law enforcement - working together," Mueller said.

Dr. John Maa, a Marin County trauma surgeon, said hospitals are seeing a growing number of serious injuries linked to e-bikes and similar devices.

"When crashes occur," he said, "the added mass and velocity of e-bikes produce forces that exceed those of traditional bicycles."

Marin County health data show the e-bike crash rate among 10- to 15-year-olds is roughly five times higher than for any other age group. Rady Children's Hospital San Diego also reported a sharp increase in pediatric e-bike trauma in recent years, including 168 trauma activations related to e-bike injuries in 2025.

"Surgeons around the world are reporting a very serious pattern of e-bike-related injury and death," Maa said.

Safety advocate and former trial attorney Bob Mittelstaedt said it is important to distinguish between pedal-assist e-bikes - which are limited by law to specific speeds - and throttle-driven bikes that can reach speeds in excess of 50 mph.

Lumping those devices together, Mittelstaedt said, has fueled confusion and made it harder to focus on the vehicles involved in many of the most serious incidents. He said many consumers purchase high-powered models without fully understanding their speed capabilities or legal status.

San Mateo County Sheriff Ken Binder said education and public awareness will be key to developing an effective safety strategy.

"It's incumbent on all of us to work together to address this very important issue," Binder said. "Through education and enforcement, the Sheriff's Office is committed to doing our part to improve the safety of our roads."

Binder said the emphasis should be on prevention, clear rules and informed riders and parents. He expressed support for a future ordinance focused on safety and consistency across the county.

Speier said she is working with county attorneys and the Sheriff's Office on a draft ordinance that could give cities a common set of rules instead of a patchwork of different approaches. She called it a starting point and said the forum was intended to share information and gather input before local officials decide how to proceed.

Throughout the forum, speakers returned to the human consequences. In her written statement, Stafford, who did not attend because she was in school, said she once saw e-bikes as a symbol of independence. The crash changed that.

"What I believed was a safe, everyday way to get around," she wrote, "resulted in a serious crash with lasting physical and neurological impacts."

Katrina Rill
Chief of Staff, Office of Supervisor Jackie Speier
[email protected]
650-380-1951

Cassandra Matter
Communications Director, Office of Supervisor Ray Mueller
[email protected]
408-960-5115