Intro: It's Your Health Radio, a special podcast series presented by Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. Here's Melanie Cole.

Melanie Cole, MS (Host): We've all seen people riding electric bicycles or scooters at what seems like a hundred miles an hour. Well, we're here to offer tips on keeping you and your kids safe from and on, if you decide to use one, these motorized devices. Welcome to It's Your Health Radio with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. I'm Melanie Cole. And joining me today is Deputy Robert Jensen. He's a deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Public Information Officer for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.

Deputy Jensen, thank you so much for joining us today. So first of all, tell us about these e-bikes and these scooters. A little bit about the evolution of they've been around a while. I don't remember seeing them a few years ago even.

Robert Jensen: Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me on to talk about this important issue. I definitely would agree with you. They have become quite an issue in the past. And I love what you said about it, it seems like they're riding at a hundred miles an hour. Because truly, that's what it feels like when you're walking along a paseo or a sidewalk. And you won't even hear them come up behind you, because they're all electric motors, right? So, they're just going to zoom past you. So, it's definitely something that we've seen kind of creep up in popularity.

They've also become much more accessible. So, you're starting to see them being sold in a lot of our local retailers alongside electric bicycles. You're going to start to see these electric motorcycles, which just to be clear right off the bat for your listeners, these are two totally different things. E-bicycles, there's three different classes. We welcome those. You'll see those in different beach communities. And a city like Santa Clarita has so many paseos that you can, walk, run, bike. We even have equestrian trails that some of these paths are right, you know, butted up against.

So, what we need to be clear about is the difference between those e-bikes, which are totally legal and a ton of fun, and the e-motorcycles. So, the biggest difference right off the bat that you can see is on an e-bike, you're going to have three different classes; a pedal bike with some kind of electric motor assist or pedal assist , and their speeds really max out at about 28 miles an hour. They're just like a normal bicycle. So if you're under 18, you need a bicycle helmet. If you're over 18, it's an option for you.

And then, as soon as you get into the e-motorcycle realm, you're going to see something with no pedals at all, just pegs. And they basically operate the exact same way a dirt bike would. So, your top speeds there are going to be upwards of 60 to 70 plus miles an hour. And unfortunately, they're getting marketed kind of the same way. So, parents don't really know when they go to the bike shop that they're buying their kids a much faster version of a bicycle known as a motorcycle, which you and I would know to ride a motorcycle. You would need a motorcycle license, you would need a DOT-approved helmet. You would need proper lighting equipment, a registration. You know, so there's so many more things that come with an e-motorcycle.

So really, right off the bat, I just want to separate for your listeners, e-bikes are great. There are a ton of fun. We encourage them. E-motorcycles are really where we're seeing the issue.

Melanie Cole, MS: Yeah, and the scooters.

Robert Jensen: Yes, definitely. Motorized scooters. Thankfully, right now, we don't have a ton of those in Santa Clarita. But pretty much the motorized scooters, you're going to see them on a bike path. it's very much designed to be powered by human propulsion, right? You just have that like motorized assist. But even then, you still have to have proper lighting equipment, proper helmet. And again, if it's going too fast for that kind of device, it is going to be considered illegal.

Melanie Cole, MS: Yeah, the ones around here, I was telling you off the air, they're scooters and they are so fast. And I agree with you about e-bikes. My friend has an e-bike with a sidecar. And he rides around with his dog with a helmet on and it's really something to see.

Robert Jensen: Pics or it didn't happen. Come on now.

Melanie Cole, MS: Yeah. No, it's totally awesome. But these scooters freak me out. Now, we think of injuries, the emergency department related to these electric bikes and scooters, what do you see, Officer?

Robert Jensen: Yeah. Unfortunately. Here in Santa Clarita, and I want to be very clear for our local listeners, this is a fatal issue. We have already had deaths associated with these e-bikes. We are doing absolutely everything we can to try and get out in front of this. I mean, we have dedicated operations where we are solely focusing on these e-motorcycles and these scooters.

But the biggest thing I can relate is they are not a harmless toy. Just like you can get injured on a bicycle. Now, imagine taking your 13-year-old, putting him on a bike that can go 60, 70 miles an hour without the proper lighting, without the proper helmet, and then send him to school. It's not as safe as everybody's thinking. And so, we encourage it if it's an e-bike or if you have a child that is old enough to get a motorcycle license and has proper training through the DMV. But, outside of that, yeah, these things are very, very dangerous.

Melanie Cole, MS: Kids don't realize the danger you and I are talking about, and they also don't know about the speed. And I see these kids cruising around on these scooters, taking corners very fast. And lot of kids ride those E that look like a motorcycle. You know, those e-bikes to school and they're chained up and whatever, and they're cruising around really fast, Deputy. So, what do we do about that?

Robert Jensen: I would almost beg to differ and argue the point that kids don't know about the speed. I would say they totally know about the speed. We have an issue right now where we're seeing kids coming in on these e-bikes and they're cutting the governors. They're basically hacking the bicycle and allowing them to go faster than the designed speed of 28 miles an hour. And so, they're taking these bikes and transforming them. Even some of the e-motorcycles that are being sold to kids, they'll be sold with that governor that doesn't allow them to go past the highest speed, and they'll reprogram them. A lot of them have little QR codes at the top of the bike you can scan. And then, in your iPhone app, you can absolutely program so that your speeds are increased. And your acceleration is increased, your braking is increased. Like all those things are modified. And that's again, where we're seeing the big issue.

And to the point about the parents, I mean, some of the parents know it as well. And we're having to kind of reeducate from a law enforcement perspective like, "Hey, mom and dad, yes, we want your kids to have fun. And yes, there are "bigger fish to fry," right? That's our biggest complaint that we hear is "Don't you guys have something better to do? And my kid's just trying to be a kid." And our point is, yeah, your kid's trying to be a kid and we're trying to protect him because we are having a major issue right now where these bikes are popping up, like you said, taking corners really fast or their excessive speeds. And now, imagine a 60 mile an hour bike coming at you with no headlight or anything, especially on our streets here in Santa Clarita that wind and turn all over the valley. It's a huge issue.

So, we're grateful, like I said, for you having us on, so we can try and talk about this. But our off-highway vehicle enforcement team is readily available to talk with parents, talk with students. I mean, a lot of our efforts on the front end have been all education-based. So when we're making these stops, we're not immediately going to impound because we don't want to ruin a kid's life if we have to get involved. A lot of times for us, we issue a citation. That means that kid can't apply for a driver's license until he is 18. So, we're really trying to get out in front of it and educate on the front end before injury or before we have to impound for, essentially, what it is, is reckless driving because they're driving a motorized vehicle on a roadway without due regard for safety. So, it's definitely an issue. And it's one that needs education on both fronts, both the student side and then the parent side as well.

Melanie Cole, MS: I agree with you, and I also agree that kids know how fast they're going. One thing I've noticed about these, Deputy, is like, I'm a walker, so I'm on the sidewalks and these scooters go racing by me. And as you said, you don't even hear them because they're electric. How come they don't have some sort of horn or bell or something?

Robert Jensen: No. A lot of them do truly. Kids just aren't using them.

Melanie Cole, MS: So, they are possibly there. Now, what do you want us to do about this? First of all, speak to parents who are considering buying one of these for their kids. When there's great skateboards out there, there's great bicycles out there, there's lots of fun things that also give us some level of fitness and activity. And then, there's the scooters and the e-motorcycles and the e-bikes. Talk to the parents that want to get those first, and then you're going to talk to the parents who don't want these things around.

Robert Jensen: Right, exactly. Yeah. And we are seeing a little bit of it. In terms of our community, we're kind of seeing a line being drawn in the sand. And I totally discourage anything that's going to separate our valley. So, you know, we're not trying to pick sides on this issue at all. We're trying to come in the middle and give both kids an opportunity to have fun, ride e-bikes. Like I said, Santa Clarita is full of paseos that we're able to ride. And a lot of us ride these paseos to work or use them for exercise and that kind of thing. So, we need to educate on both sides.

 So, one of the things I want to be really careful of is the sheriff's department is not trying to outlaw the sport of bicycling or using these e-bikes. There are three classes of totally legal, ready to go from the manufacturer bikes that you can purchase for your kids. And a lot of them are built and designed around beach towns. And that's basically what Santa Clarita has always tried to be without having a coastline.

We totally encourage class 1, class 2 and class 3. The e-motorcycle side of things is really where you just have to be careful. You have to be aware of what you're purchasing your child. And then, also be aware, if you're going to do the e-motorcycle, it's essentially a dirt bike. So if you are going to purchase an e-motorcycle, or you choose to give your child an e-motorcycle, just understand it's not a street legal bike, it's not a bicycle. So, it can only really be ridden in an off-highway vehicle recreation area. In Santa Clarita, for us, that means Rowher Flats. That means Hungry Valley. You have to kind of look up and see where those vehicles are actually permitted to ride. And a lot of those places, they won't even let you in without some kind of green or red sticker.

So, please, please, please, I'm not trying to, you know, kill the sport. None of us are. We love it. A lot of us ride dirt bikes. A lot of us ride e-bicycles. But really, what we want to try and do is just get as much education out to the public as possible, so that these things don't become a problem. And really, what we're trying to do is not just a nuisance avoidance, we're really trying to prevent loss of life. Like I said, in Santa Carita, we've already had two fatalities associated with these e-motorcycles. So, anything the community can do, we really appreciate it in getting the word out.

But we also need to remember to respect one another. There's a line being drawn in the sand, like I mentioned earlier, and what we don't want to do is have like a one side totally pro e-bikes and one side totally against e-bikes. We really just want to see the community come together as a whole and understand that there's a grave danger to some of these e-motorcycles.

So, we're here for you. We're happy to answer any questions that the community may have. Like I said, our off-highway vehicle team has been kind of spearheading the education and enforcement side of this. So if there's ever any questions, they can come by the station, bring the bike in question, or show us the link online that you're looking at buying, and we can kind of walk you through what we're looking at for that.

Melanie Cole, MS: That's really great that you offer that, Deputy. And as we wrap up, I'd like you to speak now to the people kind of like me who are worried that these things are going to hurt us or our children on the sidewalks. We're not psyched about the scooters at all because they do go so fast and they're still just a little two-wheel vehicle. They're not like a bike. Those e-bikes have some pretty good tires on them. But scooters are like a regular scooter, but with a motor. So, speak now to the community, to the parents. Yes, we understand the nuisance thing. We get that. But speak to us about what you would like from us. You don't want us complaining. Do you want us to let you know when there's somebody really out of hand? What would you like from the community?

Robert Jensen: You know, that is a really, really good question, Melanie. Thank you for asking it. I think the biggest thing I would encourage the community to do, want the community to just get in the habit of if they see something unsafe to report it. And I'm going to leave that general and vague on purpose. I don't want every single e-bike being a 911 call. It's simply not a 911 call. However, if you see somebody that is in danger or potentially putting somebody else in danger, absolutely make that report. We have a non-emergency line for a reason. It's 661-260-4000 for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station. You can call and you can make that report.

And remember, you know, when you're reporting these things, you're reporting the unsafe behavior. You're not necessarily just reporting the fact that you saw an e-bike. So, let's just be careful on that language, especially when we're talking to dispatchers. And like I said, Melanie, for you, it is so much more than a nuisance. It's a danger. So as a whole, if we can just get in the habit of reporting unsafe behavior, let's stick with that. And then, together as a community, we'll kind of figure out where to go from here.

Melanie Cole, MS: And I love that you kept that part broad, Deputy, because that was really important. Because there's a lot of things that if we see something, say something. So, really great advice. I thank you for joining us. What good information you gave here, and you clarified everything so well. So, thank you again. And for other safety tips, you can visit the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital free online health library at library.henrymayo.com and type the word safety into the search box.

That concludes today's episode of It's Your Health Radio with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. Please always remember to subscribe, rate, and review It's Your Health Radio on Apple Podcast, Spotify, iHeart, and Pandora. And share this show with your friends and family on your social channels because we are learning from the experts at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital together, and these are such important bits of advice that we're getting. Thank you so much for listening. I'm Melanie Cole.