Our Letter to the Editor of the San Francisco Chronicle
We are grateful to the San Francisco Chronicle for publishing our Letter to the Editor on holding industry accountable and supporting California Assembly bills 1557 and 2595 which can provide solutions for keeping young e-bike riders safe. Here is the text:
Letters (April 2, 2026)
Restrict e-bike use
Regarding “Marin congressman pushes bill to regulate e-bikes and e-motos” (Bay Area, SFChronicle.com, March 25): Youth injuries result from many complex factors, including a lack of transparency.
Manufacturers and retailers are selling electric bikes that exceed legal limits, blur classifications and are easily modified for higher speeds.
A recent California Association of Youth Commissions statewide survey found 66% of teens don’t know the type of e-bike they are riding, and 52% of teens don’t know their e-bike’s speed capability.
Teens shouldn’t have to decipher what they are riding; that responsibility belongs to the industry.
Rep. Jared Huffman’s legislation is a good start for requiring clear classification and labeling, and it begins to hold the industry accountable. However, much more must be done.
California bills like Assembly Member Diane Papan’s Assembly Bills 1557 and 2595, which limit e-bike use by youth, are more direct solutions to the underlying problems.
Anya Dalal, co-founder and chair, California Association of Youth Commissions, Hillsborough
Image Credit: Wikipedia
