E-bike accident rates among Marin County's youngest riders fell sharply over the two years spanning the rollout of the county's pilot safety program, but kids ages 10 to 15 still crash at nearly four times the rate of every other age group.
New emergency medical services data released by Marin County Public Health on Monday, Aug. 10, show the youth accident rate dropped from 16.25 to 11.65 per 10,000 residents between July 2024 and June 2026. That two-year window spans roughly one year before and one year after the Marin E-bike Safety Pilot Program reached full implementation in early fall 2025.
The timing matters for San Rafael families. San Rafael City Schools opens the 2026–27 school year on Wednesday, Aug. 19, sending approximately 7,600 students back to 12 campuses, and county EMS data show a clear seasonal pattern: youth e-bike injuries surge in late summer and fall, when school commutes begin.
"We want families to have this information before school starts; prevention happens before an injury, not after," said Dr. Lisa Santora, Marin County public health officer. Santora cautioned that because the total number of incidents each year is relatively small, another year of data collection will provide a stronger basis for assessing longer-term trends.
What the law requires
The pilot program was authorized by Assembly Bill 1778, written by then-Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D–San Rafael) and fully in force since all 11 Marin cities and towns adopted matching ordinances by fall 2025. Under the rules, no one under 16 may operate a Class 2 (throttle-assisted, max 20 mph) e-bike anywhere in the county. Riders of all ages must wear a helmet on a Class 2 bike. Violations carry a $25 ticket, enforced as a secondary infraction according to KQED, meaning police will not stop a child based on perceived age alone.
The broader numbers underscore why the law was needed. Since 2023, Marin has recorded 187 e-bike crashes, accounting for 27% of all bicycle crashes countywide, according to the Marin Independent Journal. Fifty-seven of those cases involved riders ages 10 to 15. A TAM-funded review of 277 bicycles parked at 12 middle and high schools found only 37 met state requirements; the rest exceeded regulations on engine power and potential speed.
Education push and what's next
County Supervisor Mary Sackett, who chairs the Marin County Special Committee on Youth E-Bike Safety, said in the Aug. 10 release that the goal is not to discourage riding. "We're not trying to get kids off bikes; we want more of them riding safely," Sackett said.
The county and the Transportation Authority of Marin launched the E-Bikers Club education campaign in May 2025, targeting middle and high schoolers and their parents with a safety pledge available in English and Spanish, downloadable posters and Safe Routes to Schools information.
Marin's local work has also reached Washington. U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D–San Rafael) introduced the Safe SPEEDS Act on March 17, 2026, a bipartisan bill directing the Consumer Product Safety Commission to create national e-bike classification and labeling standards. The legislation was directly inspired by Marin's pilot program.
The pilot is set to expire Jan. 1, 2029. Before then, the county must report citation data to the state Legislature by 2028.
Public Health staff will present updated EMS data to the TAM Board of Commissioners at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, in the Board Chambers at the Marin Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael. Families can find safety resources, the E-Bikers Club pledge and an FAQ at marincounty.gov/your-government/e-bikersclub.
