Description

This study was conducted as directed by California Senate Bill 381 (2023), which called for research to help policymakers develop effective laws and policy to support the twin goals of expanding electric bicycle use and protecting the safety of electric bicycle riders and other road users. The three major strands of findings presented in this report are (1) a review of how California and other states (and countries) regulate electric bicycle use, (2) a review of the electric bicycle safety literature, including original analysis of primary data on crashes, injuries, and deaths, and (3) strategies that the state could adopt to promote the safe use of electric bicycles. The strategies discussed include revising the way the California Vehicle Code defines and regulates electric bicycles, opportunities for improving electric bicycle safety data quality and analysis, building safe infrastructure for electric bicycling, and public education on electric bicycle rules of the road and safe riding practices.

Publication Date

12-2025

Publication Type

Report

Topic

Planning and Policy, Sustainable Transportation and Land Use

Digital Object Identifier

10.31979/mti.2025.2423

MTI Project

2423

Keywords

Electric bicycles, Crash, Policy, legislation and regulation, Safety education, Product safety

Disciplines

Public Policy | Transportation

Additional Files
2423-RB-Agrawal-Electric-Bicycle-Safety-Data-Policy.pdf (666 kB)
Research Brief
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