Electric bikes are growing in popularity with people of all ages, and for this reason, the City of Goleta is offering safety tips and skills training as part of e-bike safety awareness week.
E-bikes give the bicyclist an extra boost of power, so it’s easier to go long distances or up hills. They’re great for commuting to work or getting to school, but the heavier frames and faster speeds have raised concerns about safety.
To increase awareness and prevent e-bike accidents, representatives from law enforcement, Cottage hospital, and the non-profit MOVE Santa Barbara County visited local schools to offer safety tips and distribute helmets.
At Dos Pueblos High School, the free giveaways drew a big crowd. Helmets are required for all e-bike riders under the age of 18, and that includes passengers, too.
“One safety tip in particular, and something we’re really harping on today with the helmet handout, is helmet safety. Hopefully we’ll start seeing those brand-new helmets on the way to school and away from school each day now,” George Hedricks said. Hedricks is the Community Resource Deputy for the high school.
He said wearing a helmet and following the rules of the road like stopping at stop signs, using bike lanes, and riding with the flow of traffic can help prevent serious accidents. These reminders, he said, are especially important as e-bikes become more and more common.
“Really, they’ve taken off like wildfire, as you see from our bike rack here, there’s probably 20-plus here and another 20 or more up there, and I don’t think that’s all of them,” Hedricks said.
The City is also holding a community e-bike safety event on Saturday that will include safety tips, skills training, and an e-bike ride.
For more information about e-bike safety, go to the City of Goleta website or MOVEsbcounty.org.
