Dangerous behavior by some e-bikers and e-bike riders was posted on social media over the weekend. It shows a group of people doing wheelies in and out of lanes on Interstate 5 through downtown San Diego.
Research from Rady Children’s Hospital shows that over the past four years, trauma-related injuries related to e-bikes have increased sharply, from just three in 2021 to 262 in 2025.
Dr. Romeo Ignacio, director of trauma medicine at Rady Children’s Hospital, witnessed this injury firsthand. He said that due to the rider’s speed at the time of the collision, in addition to severe head injuries, injuries to the chest and organs, as well as damage to the spleen and liver, have been seen.
“That kind of acceleration acts on a stationary object or a moving object…like hitting another wall or a car, which obviously leads to significant damage,” Ignacio said.
San Diego City Councilman Raul Campillo is proposing a rule that would require e-bike users to be at least 12 years old. And while he says his ordinance doesn’t regulate the highway, what the bikers were doing is already illegal.
The city councilor hopes the safety education campaign launched with his bill will help curb dangerous behavior.
“What I’m seeing right now is a lot of fifth- and sixth-graders, kids 11 and under, doing incredibly dangerous things,” Campillo said. “I don’t want them to suffer. I don’t want their families to suffer. I want them to be safe and to be able to go to school safely.”
Ignacio says he’s not against e-bikes, he just wants kids to have a safe and fun time riding them. But after entering the operating room and seeing the trauma numbers skyrocketing, he sent a message to parents.
“We don’t want kids to end up in the emergency room regretting that they bought the wrong vehicle,” Ignacio said. “Think carefully when buying a bike to make sure it’s the right decision for your child.”
The 262 injuries treated at Rady Children’s last year do not even take into account non-traumatic injuries, which means many more injuries occurred.
On Wednesday, the City Council Public Safety Committee is scheduled to vote on Campillo’s electric bicycle ordinance. If enough votes are received, the proposal will be discussed at a full council meeting.
