Accidents involving e-bikes have dramatically increased in the past three years, and the Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury is calling for more enforcement from the Santa Barbara Police Department.

In a Grand Jury report released last month, the jury learned that on Oct. 16, 2024, Santa Barbara police reported that there had been 80 accidents involving e-bikes that year alone, 48 in which the e-bike rider was at fault.

In comparison, there were 73 e-bike-related accidents in 2023 and only 10 in 2022. However, the Grand Jury learned that the Police Department counts collisions only when there is damage to a vehicle or when someone goes to the hospital, according to the report. 

From October 2022 to October 2024, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital reported that it saw 84 patients with e-bike-related injuries, nearly half of whom were ages 11 to 20. Additionally, 12 accidents involved people ages 31 to 40, and 11 accidents involved people ages 21 to 30. 

The report stated that nearly all of the people injured were e-bike riders and four were passengers. Orthopedic injuries were the most common in e-bike-related accidents; 19 patients suffered head and neck injuries, four had chest injuries, and two had major vascular injuries, according to the report.  

Online complaints about e-bike riders and their dangerous habits led to the Santa Barbara City Council implementing a new ordinance in April that requires riders to use bike lanes where possible, and requires riders to ride in a single file, except on paths or roadways designed exclusively for bicycles.

In addition, the ordinance requires yielding to pedestrians when emerging from an alley, driveway and bicycle path. It also prohibits the riding of a bicycle or e-bicycle on any sidewalk.

Riders younger than 18 need to wear a properly strapped helmet, and all bicycles are required to have reflectors affixed to both the front and back wheels.

The ordinance also prohibits the operation of a bicycle or e-bike on a roadway unless it has a brake that allows the rider to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level and clean pavement.

The ordinance added new consequences for juvenile riders making unsafe decisions.  Specifically, if a juvenile receives a citation, they could attend a two-hour class and take a test to get rid of the citation and fee. 

Adults who don’t follow the ordinance still would receive an administrative citation. 

Since the new ordinance went into effect, 13 citations have been issued to juveniles and two juveniles on illegal, high-speed electric dirt bikes had their bikes impounded, according to the report. 

However, the Grand Jury found that there hasn’t been enough awareness around the new ordinance and that the Santa Barbara Police Department did not get an increase in funding to support the extra enforcement. 

The report noted that because there isn’t new funding for overtime or new officers, the department instead will have to adjust people, shifts and money.

Specifically, the Grand Jury recommended placing officers around schools early in the morning and midafternoon as well as around popular riding areas downtown or on the beach pathways because they believe visible law enforcement will be critical to reel in dangerous behavior.

Because of the lack of additional funds, the Grand Jury recommended that the Santa Barbara City Council conduct a study to determine how much new funding is needed for the additional enforcement work. 

It also recommended that the department give monthly reports to the City Council on the number of e-bike-involved accidents and the number of citations issued in the city. 

The Grand Jury also recommended a public awareness campaign to educate riders on the new ordinance.  

The City of Santa Barbara will have 90 days from when the report was published to respond to the recommendations.