In Morro Bay, police are cracking down on e-bike riders who are not following the laws.
“We’re now to the point where, please, come on, you know, we don’t want to have anybody get hurt," said Mary Watt, Morro Bay resident.
E-bikes are used around the area but recent incidents have caused local concern.
“A young lady that got hit by a car a couple weeks ago,” Watt recalled.
The Morro Bay Police Department is currently in a three-phase enforcement campaign.
Phase 1 was outreach to schools in Morro Bay and Los Osos. Phase 2 was continued education through social media. Now, Phase 3 is the zero-tolerance enforcement, which will run from now through August.
With school being out for the summer, Watt said she’s seeing more e-bikes in the area.
“They’re out there riding their bikes or e-bikes and e-motos and just not necessarily aware that life is precious, you know, something can change in a minute if you’re not careful with what you are doing,” Watt said.
Nathan Weber, owner of Cal Coast Adventures in Morro Bay, explained how different e-bikes work.
“This is a class two e-bike, so it’s got both pedal assist as well as a throttle. Everything is going to be able to help you up to 20 miles an hour and then the motor is going to shut off,” Weber said.
He explained that class one and three bikes are pedal-assisted with class three getting up to 28 miles per hour.
There are no age requirements for class one and two, but helmets are required for those under 18. For class three, a helmet must be worn by all riders and the minimum age requirement is 16.
“We make sure they understand they can’t ride on the sidewalks, they need to obey all traffic laws, definitely stopping at stop signs, stoplights, just exactly what you would do on a regular bike or in your car,” Weber said.
According to the California Department of Justice, local governments can set their own rules and ordinances on e-bike usage.
