10E
Date: April 22, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jeremiah Hart, Chief of Police
By: Charles Fisher, Police Lieutenant | [email protected] Subject: Police – Provide Direction on the Drafting of a Municipal Ordinance Specifically Regulating the Operation of Electric Bicycles (E-Bikes) within the City of Torrance.
Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the Chief of Police that City Council provide direction on the drafting of a municipal ordinance specifically regulating the operation of electric bicycles (e-bikes) within the City of Torrance.
DISCUSSION
E-bike usage has increased dramatically in Torrance and surrounding cities, especially among youth and recreational riders. These vehicles offer efficient, eco-friendly mobility options but also pose unique safety concerns not entirely addressed by existing law. Community feedback and public safety data reflect a growing concern over incidents involving unsafe riding on sidewalks, in parks, and along multi-use trails and ravines.
Regional data provides compelling evidence for local action. One Southern California City reported a 233% increase in bike and e-bike collisions between 2019 and 2022, with e-bikes involved in 63% of all bicycle-related crashes in 2022-up from 27% in 2019. Similarly, Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) reported an alarming increase in e-bike-related injuries from 7 cases in 2019 to 116 in 2024. Most injuries involved youth ages 14 to 16, followed by 11 to 13-year-olds, and included severe trauma such as skull and facial fractures, extremity injuries, and internal organ damage.
In the South Bay region, the Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) has reported a dramatic increase in e-bike use among middle and high school students, prompting the launch of targeted safety campaigns. The combination of high-speed riding, lack of safety equipment, and limited rider training presents elevated risks for both riders and the public-especially in areas with high pedestrian traffic or environmentally sensitive terrain.
Further reinforcing the urgency for local regulation, a 2023 national study published in Surgery Open Science analyzed pediatric injury data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) between 2011 and 2020. The study found that while traditional bicycle injuries declined, e-bike-related injuries among children increased significantly, with males accounting for
82.5% of all cases. Alarmingly, 97.3% of e-bike riders were not wearing helmets in cases where 1 City Council
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helmet use was recorded. Additionally, 11.5% of e-bike injuries required hospitalization, a significantly higher rate than that for traditional bicycles (4.8%) or mopeds (7.0%).
These combined data points-from local, regional, and national sources-highlight a troubling and rapidly escalating public safety issue. Establishing a dedicated municipal code will empower the City of Torrance to proactively address unsafe behaviors, reinforce safety education, and enable consistent enforcement to better protect youth, pedestrians, and all users of shared public spaces.
ENFORCEMENT GAPS
The rapid and significant increase in the use of electric bicycles has been accompanied by a sharp rise in safety concerns, injury incidents, and enforcement challenges in areas such as sidewalks, parks, trails, washes, and ravines-many of which are not adequately addressed under current state law or local ordinances.
For clarity, the California Vehicle Code section 231 provides the following definition of “Bicycle””:
A bicycle is a device upon which a person may ride, propelled exclusively by human power, except as provided in Section 312.5, through a belt, chain, or gears, and having one or more wheels. A person riding a bicycle is subject to the provisions of this code specified in Sections 21200 and 21200.5. An electric bicycle is a bicycle.
Therefore, e-bikes are subject to the same provisions in the California Vehicle Code as traditional bicycles. Additionally, Chapter 2 of Division 7 of the Torrance Municipal Code which addresses bicycle usage in the City of Torrance, also applies to e-bikes. The California Vehicle Code and the Torrance Municipal Code provide a wide variety of enforcement options to address e-bike usage in the City of Torrance. However, the Police Department has identified a few concerning behaviors that are not covered by the Vehicle Code or the Municipal Code. While local authorities, like Torrance, are prohibited from enacting or enforcing any ordinance on matters covered by the Vehicle Code, they can enact and enforce local ordinances to address issues unique to the jurisdiction and not covered by state law.
Therefore, the Police Department is seeking City Council’s direction regarding potential Torrance Municipal Code amendments.
Under existing law, bicycles are permitted to operate on roadways and on sidewalks. Torrance Municipal Code section 62.1.4 prohibits riding on sidewalks in business districts, and on sidewalks adjacent to any public-school building, church, recreation center, or playground. The Police Department is seeking City Council direction regarding amending this section to add additional sidewalk locations where bicycle riding should be prohibited such as sidewalks adjacent to City owned buildings, parks, storm water basins, and sumps.
As discussed above, Torrance Municipal Code section 62.1.4 is specific to riding on sidewalks adjacent to certain locations. The Police Department is seeking direction from the City Council regarding adding a Torrance Municipal Code that would prohibit riding in particular locations, such as, parks, public facilities (Civic Center, Transit Center, etc.), or elsewhere.
California Vehicle Code section 23103, entitled “Reckless Driving”, can be utilized as an enforcement tool against bicyclist who operate a bicycle upon a highway or in an off-street parking 2 City Council
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facility, with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. This does not allow for enforcement of reckless riding on sidewalks, or in locations such as parks. Additionally, the Police Department has identified bicyclist behavior that does not necessarily rise to the level of reckless driving yet poses significant safety risks. This type of riding, sometimes referred to as “stunt riding” or “trick riding” includes performing acrobatic or fancy maneuvers such as wheelies, jumps, and standing on handlebars. The Police Department is seeking City Council direction regarding adding a Torrance Municipal Code to address this type of riding. Based on reviewing municipal codes of other agencies, some agencies prohibit it entirely, while others prohibit it in only certain locations such as on the streets and sidewalks, but not in open spaces or parking lots.
There is not presently a California Vehicle Code or Torrance Municipal code which regulates the use of cell phones or other electronic devices while operating a bicycle. California Vehicle Code section 23123 permits the use of wireless devices while operating a motor vehicle only if the device is designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking, and California Vehicle Code section 23123.5 states “[a] person shall not drive a motor vehicle while holding and operating a handheld wireless telephone or an electronic wireless communications device unless the wireless telephone or electronic wireless communications device is specifically designed and configured to allow voice-operated and hands-free operation, and it is used in that manner while driving.” Unfortunately, these Vehicle Code sections are not enforceable against bicycle riders, despite the fact the conduct poses the same distraction and increased safety risks. Currently, enforcement of cellphone usage by bicyclist is limited to, California Vehicle Code section 21205 which states that “No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle, or article which prevents the operator from keeping at least on hand upon the handlebars,” and California Vehicle Code section 27400 which prohibits, with limited exceptions, a bicyclist from wearing “a headset covering, earplugs in, or earphones covering, resting on, or inserted in, both years.” The Police Department recommends City Council direct the Police Department to draft an ordinance to address cell phone usage while operating a bicycle to keep riders attention on the road.
EDUCATIONAL STRATEGY
In addition to making any additions or amendments to the Torrance Municipal Code, the Police Department intends to increase public outreach and education about e-bike safety. The Police Department is partnering with the Torrance Unified School District to establish a school-based education campaign and social media campaign on e-bike safety. Other opportunities the Police Department is exploring include, coordinating with local hospitals and the Fire Department to coordinate bicycle helmet fitting events and community safety workshops, partnering with local bicycle and sporting good retail locations to help amplify safety messaging, and using city communication platforms and signage to increase awareness about e-bike laws and safety.
CONCLUSION
Adding to and amending the Torrance Municipal code will close critical enforcement gaps and promote public safety. With the direction of Your Honorable Body, the Police Department will collaborate with the City Attorney’s Office to draft ordinance language for your future consideration.
3 City Council
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ATTACHMENTS
1. Beach Cities Health District E-Bike Data Collection Report March 2023
2.Surgery Open Science Medical Journal – Electric Bicycles (e-bikes) are an Increasingly Common Pediatric Public Health Problem Research Paper – April 2023 4 5
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