E-Bike Safety

The California Vehicle Code establishes three classes of electric bicycles:

Class 1: Low-Speed Pedal-Assisted Electric Bikes. The Class 1 e-bike engine can only supply power up to 20 mph.

Class 2: Low-Speed Throttle-Assisted Electric Bikes. These low-speed throttle-assisted bicycle motors are also limited to 20 mph.

Class 3: Vehicles with a top-assisted speed of 28 mph. Class 3 e-bikes are required to have a speedometer and riders of Class 3 e-bikes must also be at least 16 years old and are required to wear a helmet. Thus, any student under the age of 16 years old cannot operate a Class 3 vehicle.

The CVC also defines “Electric Motorbikes” as two-wheel electric vehicles with a motor larger than 750 Watts and/or operating at a speech above 20 miles per hours (mph). Electronic Motorbikes require a Driver’s license.

For further information about electronic vehicle classification, please see the CA DMV  webpage here.

All students must ensure they meet the requirements established by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the California Vehicle Code (CVC) before operating a Single Rider Electric Vehicle. The District is not responsible for enforcing these requirements and the District’s certification and permitting procedure does not warrant or confirm that a student has met all DMV or CVC requirements.

 

All students are required to obtain a permit before bringing any Electric Single Rider Vehicle on campus. The permit training and certification process is described below.

After completion of the permit process, students will receive a parking permit sticker which must be affixed to their Electric Single Rider Vehicle on a visible location. Students who do not have a sticker visibly affixed to their vehicle will not be permitted to bring their vehicle onto any District campus.

 

The District may lock up or otherwise withhold any electronic vehicle that does not have a valid permit and the District may maintain the vehicle until the parent or guardian of the owning student comes to the school site to pick up the vehicle. The District may further revoke any issued permit if any student fails to follow the rules set established below, uses their vehicle improperly and/or engages in any activity that District staff determines creates a risk to the health or safety of any student or person.

 Students must complete the following permitting process before using any Electric Single Rider Vehicle on any school district campus:

1. Training

Students must first attend a Vehicle Training program and receive written confirmation of their completion through the online Pedal Ace Training which can be found here:

Training 

Get 50% off using code: wsd50 until 1/15/27

This online program that takes approximately two hours to complete. If any student cannot complete the online training, they may contact the District at ebikepermit@wsdk8.us to coordinate in-person training which will be provided by the District.

Promotional Code / Refund Assistance:

If you forgot to use the WSD promotional code, please contact PedalAce directly for assistance with a refund:

• Online: PedalAce

• Phone: (310) 571-8054

2. Certification Verification

Upon completion of the PedalAce training, students must submit their PedalAce Certificate to ebikepermit@wsdk8.us which shall include:

• Name of the student (first, last name)
• Student ID Number
• Student school site
• Description of the vehicle (E-Bike Make, Model and Color)
• Certification of Completion from Pedal Ace (demonstrating completion of the training program) 

E-Bike Permit stickers will be ready for pick-up at your student’s school office within three business days.

Upon receipt of a permit sticker, students must affix the permit on their Electric Single Rider Vehicle in a visible location. Students must ensure the permit is affixed to the vehicle identified in the certification verification.

All issued permits shall only be applicable to the vehicle and student identified in the permit. Therefore, students may not allow other students to use their permitted vehicle. Further, students may not use a permit for a vehicle that was not identified in the permit application. The District may revoke a permit if it is affixed to another vehicle either owned by another student, or a vehicle that was not identified in the application.

To access your student's Certificate of Completion:

1. Sign in to Learn PedalAce using your student’s email and password.
2. Click the student’s name at the top right (desktop) or open the hamburger menu (mobile).
3. In the dropdown menu, click My Account
4. Click Certificates
5. Select View
6. From this screen, you may:

• Download the certificate as a PDF, or

• Copy a link to the certificate to share via text or email with any requesting party.

3. Renewals

The District’s permits will be valid for the current school year only. Thus, students must obtain a permit for each school year and must complete the permit process each year. If a student seeks a permit during a school year, they may contact the District Contact for more information regarding current training available at the time of the request.

 

In addition to the requirements presented in the District Permit Requirements and Permit Process, students must follow the following requirements whenever operating an Electric Single Rider Vehicle on District property.

1.  Storage - Electric Single Rider Vehicles must be stored in a designated area on campus and owners shall not leave the vehicles unattended except when stored in the designated areas.

2. Charging - Students may not use District outlets for charging their Electric Single Rider Vehicles.

3.  Security - Students are solely responsible for providing locks to protect their Electric Single Rider Vehicles while stored in the designated areas. The District is not responsible for damage or theft of Electric Single Rider Vehicles.

4.  Helmet -  Students under 18 years of age and in possession of a bicycle must have a helmet with them while they are with their Electric Single Rider Vehicle (California Vehicle Code 21212a, 21235). Students riding to or from school without a helmet are subject to disciplinary action, which may include elimination of the privilege of parking their vehicle on campus

5. General Safety - Students must comply with all rules established by the school site with respect to the use of bicycles on campus, including wearing a helmet, riding only in the designated areas, and walking their vehicles through areas in which bicycle riding is prohibited.

 

The District offers the following tips to help students stay safe when operating Electric Single Rider Vehicles:

• Electric Single Rider Vehicles are treated as vehicles and must follow all California vehicle laws and local codes, including obeying stop signs and other traffic signals. The District’s training does not provide a comprehensive review of all applicable laws and therefore, students, parents, and guardians are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable rules when using an Electric Single Rider Vehicle off District property.
• Be aware of traffic & pedestrians! Don’t weave in and out of traffic. The more predictably you ride, the safer you are. Always be aware of the traffic around you. If your bike doesn’t have turn signals, use hand signals. Watch for doors opening in parking lots.
• Slow down and break early! E-bikes are quick to pick up speed and can cause severe injury. At higher speeds, give yourself the appropriate amount of time to slow down and navigate the roadway.
• Plan and practice a safe route to school with your child before allowing them to ride.
• Ride your bike on the right side of the street in the SAME direction as traffic.
• Learn and use proper hand signals when riding.
• Avoid using cell phones or other distracting devices when riding your bicycle.

• Keep a safe distance from other vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians to give yourself ample time to react to unexpected situations.

• Use lights, reflectors, and reflective clothing to make yourself visible to other road users, especially in low-light conditions or at night.

• Use a bell or horn to signal your presence to pedestrians and other cyclists.

• Be cautious when riding on wet or slippery roads, as e-bikes can have powerful acceleration.

• Watch out for potholes, gravel, and other road hazards that could cause you to lose control.

• Stay focused on the road and avoid distractions like texting, using a smartphone or headphones while riding.

   

•       CA New E-Bike Law: Info for Riders
•       Q&A on California’s E-Bike Law 
•       Orange County E-Bike Safety Resources     
•       State of California DMV Department of Motor Vehicles - Motorcycle Handbook (Scroll down to Electric Bicycles & Motorized Scooter)
• Electric bicycles defined: California Vehicle Code 312.5