Opposition to AB 1942: E-Bike Registration

I am writing to oppose AB 1942, which would require DMV registration and license plates for Class 2 and Class 3 electric bicycles. Disabled people ride bikes and e-bikes. Children and older adults ride bikes. Any policy that claims to protect vulnerable road users should be grounded in the actual scale and causes of harm on our streets. AB 1942 focuses on registration, plates, fees, and enforcement for lawful e-bikes. It does not mandate protected bike lanes, traffic calming, lower vehicle speeds, or stronger accountability for drivers. It does not address street design or driver behavior. The most recent finalized statewide data, from 2023, shows that over 1,100 pedestrians in California were killed by motor vehicles, with thousands more seriously injured. That danger is tracked clearly because it is large, persistent, and deadly. By contrast, injuries to pedestrians caused by someone riding an e-bike are so rare that they are not even tracked cleanly statewide. Even cities that have examined the issue report that the overwhelming majority of e-bike injuries are injuries to the rider, not to bystanders, and that existing data systems undercount and misclassify incidents. California already has clear e-bike laws. Legal e-bikes are limited by motor power and speed and must have fully operable pedals. Devices that function like unlicensed motorcycles do not qualify as e-bikes and are already illegal to operate without registration, licensing, and insurance. People riding those vehicles are already violating existing law. AB 1942 does not address that enforcement issue and instead imposes new burdens on people riding legal e-bikes. A registration and license-plate scheme does nothing to address the dominant source of harm on our streets. It adds cost, friction, and enforcement that predictably reduces biking, especially for disabled, elderly, and low-income riders. For these reasons, I urge you to oppose AB 1942.