MUSD, Police Department to work together on e-bike safety

Menifee Union School District and Police Department officials lead a discussion on e-bikes. (Staff photo)

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Menifee Union School District and the Menifee Police Department announced Thursday that they are launching an educational program regarding safety with e-bikes.

Many motorists have experienced the increased presence of e-bikes on local streets in the last few months. In some cases, there have been near-misses between e-bikes and passenger cars. As Lt. Denise Keith put it, high-end e-bikes appeared to be one of the most popular Christmas gifts for youngsters in Menifee.

Granted, e-bikes provide an activity that gets kids off computers and outside. They also provide an efficient mode of transportation to school for students who have long distances to travel. But as many residents have complained, youths ignoring or not understanding traffic laws has become an increasing problem.

Officials stated in two public meetings on Thursday that the goal of MUSD and the police department is to educate the public – both bike riders and motorists – about the rules governing e-bikes and overall traffic safety.

“We all know there has been a significant rise of incidents involving e-bikes,” Keith told guests at the Thursday morning meeting. “In 2023 there were six collisions involving e-bikes in Menifee. In 2024, there were 16. We definitely see a need for more education.”

Keith said Menifee PD is working on a city ordinance that will be introduced to the City Council at its Feb. 19 meeting, describing rules and regulations for e-bikes and the justification for citations when laws are broken. Such a local ordinance gives cities more options in enforcing state laws that already are in place.

“Most cities are either in the process or have already put in an ordinance for e-bikes,” she said. “An ordinance would give us the option of giving an administrative citation, which is another way of holding them accountable.”

Unlike a criminal citation, which can include jail time and a criminal mark on one’s record, an administrative citation is a civil citation with fines administered by the local government. An administrative citation is given to the e-biker rider and their parents, but there is no criminal mark against the youth’s record when they apply for a driver’s license.

Sgt. Dan Beare said that when an officer stops an e-bike rider for a violation, it is the officer’s discretion on whether to issue a citation. While the department prepares the ordinance for approval by the City Council and as a joint education program with MUSD is developed, officers may take a more educational than enforcement approach.

“We ask residents for patience,” Beare said. “People say, ‘You drive by riders; why aren’t you stopping them?’ You have to realize, that officer might be on the way to another call. Also, if the kids take off, they can get in and out of places faster than we can. It may appear we aren’t doing anything, but we’re doing whatever we can to ensure the safety of everyone.”

One of the best ways they can do that, Keith said, is to increase awareness of the laws and encourage the support of parents.

“Enforcement isn’t always the best way to combat a problem,” Keith said. “We need to educate everyone on the topic. It’s the responsibility of everybody. Parents, other adults, kids … the entire community has the responsibility of working together. This is a communal commitment to the safety of everyone.

“Knowledge is power. I think with this effort, we’re going to see improvement.”

“Any type of ordinance takes time, but we’re all ready to move forward,” said MUSD Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Root.

Motor officer Matt Harper has been one of those most instrumental in putting together a training program to take into the schools.

“I’ve seen a huge rise in e-bikes ridden by kids who don’t know the rules,” Harper said. “Parents give them a bike and the kids don’t know what the traffic rules are. My main focus is education.”

Those involved in leading the meeting Thursday acknowledged that some of the actions seen on local streets is disrespectful behavior that leads to dangerous situations, such as large groups of bikers drifting into the middle of the road and running red lights. Thus the educational aspect will begin with a statement of the rules of the road that apply to everyone, not just passenger cars.

Along with that will come a description of the specific rules for each type of e-bike.

E-bikes fall into one of three classes, ranging from Class 1 bikes that have a peddle assist for motor action to Class 2 and 3 bikes that have a throttle and the ability to travel up to 28 mph. One of the problems, Harper said, is the increasing use by youths of the Sur-ron brand of bike, which is not street legal.

The Sur-ron brand cycle falls in the same classification as a dirt bike as far as the law is concerned. Unlike the less expensive types of e-bikes, the Sur-ron has no pedals and can reach speeds of about 60 mph. Unless it is modified with multiple accessories, it is not allowed on public roads.

“A lot of parents are buying those, thinking they are OK for kids on public roads,” Harper said. They are not street legal and can be impounded.”

Other factors will be addressed during the educational program at local schools and through an online course available on the police department website. They include:

-- All riders under age 18 must wear a helmet.

-- Riders cannot wear headphones or ear buds.

-- E-bikes must have a front-facing light and reflectors for night riding.

-- Bikers must ride in designated bike lanes. If there is not one, they must ride as far to the right of the road as possible. E-bikes are allowed to ride on sidewalks but must give the right of way to pedestrians.

-- Bikes can only carry the number of riders and passengers that the specific device is designed for.

According to Beare, the online training course takes only about 30 minutes to complete. That is available now on the MPD website and may be accessed here. Information about additional training in the schools will be forthcoming.