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Marin and Certino outline three‑part ebike education: awareness, behavior and on‑bike training
Summary
Marin Safe Routes and Certino Safe Routes to School described an education approach combining buyer awareness, behavior management and experiential on‑bike classes; presenters warned instructors cannot insure training on illegal 'e‑motorcycles.'
Panelists at Certino’s Safe Routes event described a three‑part approach to reducing ebike injuries and risky behavior: awareness (parents and buyers must verify device class and capabilities), behavior management (parental contracts, peer campaigns and compliance strategies) and experiential on‑bike training tailored to ebikes’ higher speeds and weights.
Gwen Furrow, Marin Safe Routes to School program director, urged parents to "know before you buy" and said education must include decisions about whether a teen has the maturity to ride a faster device. She described separate classroom and on‑bike curricula for ebikes and traditional bicycles because ebikes are heavier and travel faster; Marin runs dedicated ebike rider classes and teaches students to keep speeds compatible with surrounding traffic.
Furrow emphasized behavior management: classroom lessons should be paired with parental agreements and predictable consequences. She also advised insurers and program planners: "our insurance does not cover us to teach emoto classes" and instructors should not teach or endorse riding devices that are motor vehicles.
Certino Safe Routes to School announced a new summer course, Middle School Bike Skills 102, and the panel pointed parents to vetted resources including the League of American Bicyclists’ "Ebike Smart" materials and local county toolkits. Panelists recommended MIPS‑rated or other higher‑speed helmet standards for riders of faster devices and said schools should separate ebike training from regular bike lessons to manage safety and equipment differences.
Panelists urged parent involvement, student peer campaigns and inclusion of youth voices in outreach. They said education alone is not a complete solution for overpowered devices and must be paired with enforcement and better product accountability by retailers and manufacturers.
