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Fillmore police brief council on rising e‑bike crashes, modified bikes and enforcement tools
Summary
Police Chief Lo told the council e‑bike use among youth has risen, helmet use is low and Class 2 and modified bikes are driving most incidents; Filmore logged four e‑bike collisions last year and one so far this year. The chief emphasized education, school partnerships and targeted enforcement and noted a vehicle‑code change effective Jan. 1 allows towing of altered or out‑of‑class e‑bikes.
Police Chief Lo delivered a county‑coordinated briefing on e‑bike safety at the Fillmore City Council meeting on April 28, saying rapid growth in e‑bike use—especially among youth—has produced both benefits and safety challenges.
Chief Lo summarized the data and risks: Filmore recorded four e‑bike collisions last year and one so far this year; low helmet usage and aftermarket modifications that increase speed are common problems. He explained the three commonly referenced classes of e‑bikes: Class 1 (pedal‑assist up to about 20 mph), Class 2 (pedal‑assist plus throttle, up to about 20 mph) and Class 3 (pedal‑assist only, up to about 28 mph, with age/helmet requirements). The chief said Class 2 and modified bikes are the most prominent source of local incidents, partly because they are easier for young riders to operate.
On enforcement and tools, Chief Lo emphasized education and school outreach as the first line of response—school assemblies, bike rodeos and social media outreach—paired with targeted enforcement for repeat offenders. He noted a vehicle‑code amendment effective January 1 that authorizes towing of e‑bikes that are altered or out of class; he said to retrieve a towed machine a parent often must pay towing, storage and an administrative release fee, which can total several hundred to more than a thousand dollars. "Effective January 1st of this year there's a vehicle code that got amended that allows the towing of ebikes that are out of class or altered in any kind of way," he said.
Chief Lo described retailer partnerships and county coordination (Commander Tennyson and Detective Bradley Bordon were cited as leads on the county project), and said deputies will continue education first but will use enforcement and the towing authority where appropriate—especially for emoto/emoto‑style machines that are not street‑legal. He invited residents to consult the police department if they are unsure whether a purchased e‑bike is legal to ride in public.
Next steps: the county group will reconvene the Board of Supervisors with an update in about six months and continue shared educational materials; locally, staff will distribute materials and coordinate school and retailer outreach.
