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Folsom police urge education, point‑of‑sale clarity as e‑bike collisions rise
Summary
Chief Aaron Castle told the council that e‑bike collisions doubled in 2025 compared with the prior year, disproportionately affecting juveniles; the department emphasized education (schools and point‑of‑sale), targeted enforcement and a new state requirement for rear reflectors.
Chief Aaron Castle of the Folsom Police Department briefed the City Council on Jan. 27 about electric bicycle classifications, recent state law changes and the department’s education‑and‑enforcement approach as collisions involving e‑bikes have increased.
Chief Castle outlined the three classes of e‑bikes under California law (class 1: pedal‑assist up to 20 mph; class 2: throttle‑assist up to 20 mph; class 3: pedal‑assist up to 28 mph with a 16‑year minimum) and said a recent change in state law (Assembly Bill 544) now requires a rear red reflector or solid flashing light for all e‑bikes at all hours. He also noted the California Vehicle Code’s 750‑watt peak motor limit used to differentiate e‑bikes from motor‑driven cycles.
"Children are disproportionately impacted by the injuries associated with e‑bikes," Chief Castle said, summarizing national emergency‑department trends and local collision data. He told council staff discovered previously missed collisions in the records while updating 2025 totals and that the department recorded roughly twice as many collisions involving e‑bikes in 2025 as in the prior year; Lieutenant Burhaalin described a December incident in which a juvenile on an e‑bike struck a man in his seventies, leaving the older cyclist with significant injuries.
Castle said the department will continue education and enforcement, with an emphasis on school outreach and sharing a classification flyer with the school district and broader community. He noted that the vehicle code already provides enforcement tools and that the department plans to create internal "cheat sheets" so officers know which vehicle‑code sections apply to particular devices. "The mechanism for enforcement is in fact a citation," he said, but added the department prefers education for minors where practicable and that impound authority and practical on‑the‑spot impoundment options remain complicated.
Council members asked whether the department will post presentation materials (the flyer will be posted on the city website), whether some jurisdictions are seeking greater local age restrictions (Marin and San Diego County were cited as examples pursuing temporary age limits under separate assembly bills), and how residents should report non‑emergency but recurring problems (ClickFix or the nonemergency line recommended). Castle said the department will continue school outreach, distribute materials through communications channels, and monitor evolving state legislation and police‑chief association recommendations about safety at the point of sale.
The council did not take legislative action on the briefing; staff said the department’s materials and the flyer will be posted online.
