Orange County is cracking down on dangerous E-bike use.

The Board of Supervisors last week approved a series of regulations that are intended to protect both riders and those around them, as reported by LAist.

Changes include separating the devices into three categories, with different regulations for each type:

  • Class 1 E-bikes
    • Provide pedal assist up to 20 mph
  • Class 2 E-bikes
    • Self-propelling bikes that can reach up to 20 mph without pedaling
  • Class 3 E-bikes
    • Provide pedal assist up to 28 mph

Class 3 E-bikes are regulated most strictly, LAist explained, with no one under the age of 16 allowed to operate them. Those under 16 can ride Class 1 and Class 2 devices.

Additionally, all people on a Class 3 E-bike are required to wear a helmet on roads, bikeways and trails.

E-bikers also must yield to pedestrians and equestrians while on sidewalks, and they are not allowed to ride more than two abreast on roads, bike lanes and sidewalks.

“Finally, the new rules also ban multiple people from riding on the same bike, except in the case of tandem bicycles or small children with their own seat,” LAist said.

The new regulations come as concern about the devices increases.

On Saturday night, in neighboring L.A. County, one E-biker among a group of them riding around the Hermosa Beach Pier launched a live firework into a crowd, leaving several people with minor injuries.

Supervisor Katrina Foley told LAist that officials are “seeing such an increase in injuries.”

“We also have had complaints about [groups of kids] 10 or 12 deep riding their e-bikes down through the park over the grass and off the trails and running into people’s dogs or almost running into senior citizens and knocking them over — these are actually real complaints I’ve received,” she said. “This new ordinance will allow our park rangers to have a tool to be able to use enforcement to prevent that kind of activity.”

These regulations apply to all unincorporated areas of the county, as well as county-managed parks, bike paths and roads. Many cities have regulations of their own that preempt the county rules.