Marin teen testifies on e-bike safety before state senators

San Rafael resident Amelia Stafford, who suffered head injuries in a crash, lent her support to legislation introduced by Assemblymember Damon Connolly.

San Rafael resident Amelia Stafford can’t remember her fall off an electric bicycle in September.

“I remember nothing, nothing at all, and I haven’t really looked into it, to be honest,” she said on Wednesday. “To me, going up and down the block on a bike must’ve felt like no big deal.”

Stafford, 15, spent two months in intensive care, underwent brain surgeries and received care from five hospitals after the crash. She expects a full recovery within a couple of years.

“I am through the worst, but I get exhausted very quickly,” Stafford said, describing her experience of “neural fatigue.”

She testified before the state Senate Transportation Committee in Sacramento on Tuesday during its review of an Assembly bill that addresses e-bike safety.

“I know my family and friends had doubts that I’d be back to normal, lift a finger, or even survive,” Stafford told senators about her recovery.

Supporting her at the hearing were her mother Monica and Dr. John Maa, a Marin County surgeon who treated her.

Assembly Bill 1778, authored by Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, seeks to create a voluntary pilot program in Marin County. Under the program, participating municipal and county governments could adopt laws that prohibit youths under age 16 from riding class 2 e-bikes and require riders of class 2 e-bikes to wear helmets.

The county also would be required to report data such as traffic stops and citations for violators to the state Legislature by January 2028.

State law says a class 2 e-bike is one with a throttle device that can help accelerate the bicycle up to the legal speed limit of 20 mph.

“With a simple thumb push on a handle, a class 2 e-bike can go from zero to 20 mph in just about 10 seconds,” Connolly told the transportation committee. “While class 2 e-bikes are regulated to go no more than 20 mph, too often they are modified by users to go to a higher speed.”

Connolly mentioned the severity of reported e-bike injuries that are similar to those suffered from injuries on high-speed vehicles.

California law restricts minors under age 16 from operating class 3 e-bikes, which are pedal-assisted bicycles that can travel up to 28 mph.

Connolly initially proposed AB 1778 to be enforced across the state but later amended the bill to only focus on Marin County.

“We believe that an age limit for operators and collecting more data on this issue will significantly reduce crashes and help ensure that our streets remain safe for everyone,” he told the committee.

Connolly’s legislation was introduced at a time when the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services raised concerns about an increase in 911 calls related to e-bike injuries. The department reported that Marin’s e-bike collision rate was 47 per 100,000 children ages 10 to 15, which was five times as high as any other age group.

In April, the Marin County Civil Grand Jury recommended that local governments prohibit youths under age 16 from riding class 2 e-bikes because of safety risks.

AB 1778 passed an Assembly floor vote in April and it is now undergoing Senate review. Following Stafford’s testimony, Senate Transportation Committee members unanimously supported the bill.

“This really seems like something that is so straightforward and what we need to do,” said Sen. Bill Dodd, a Napa Democrat. “This is a great step forward.”

Sen. Roger Niello, a Sacramento County Republican, expressed support for the bill. He said wearing a helmet protected him in bicycle crashes.

“I don’t question requiring helmets for kids, but I do a little bit for adults,” he said. “I think I should have a right to ride without a helmet if I wanted to be that stupid.”

Niello later said that he is interested in seeing how AB 1778 would affect the number of head injury cases if it becomes law.

“It is important to treat underage kids with class 2 the same way we do with class 3,” Niello said.

Stafford said she was surprised by the committee’s unanimous support. She described her testimony as a “huge experience” for her.

“I pushed myself way out of my comfort zone, and I couldn’t be more glad I did,” she said.

Stafford plans to return to Terra Linda High School and is taking class credit recovery courses so she can graduate with her class. She said that her health is improving.

“There are times when I feel totally normal and can do things like hike and even run, but then my brain reminds me that I’m not there yet,” Stafford said.

Dr. Matthew Willis, Marin County’s public health officer, said he has not seen other e-bike injuries as severe as Stafford’s.

“I’m not surprised that the Assembly bill is moving forward — it’s hard to hear stories like Amelia’s and not feel compelled to take action,” he said.

Willis noted that Stafford’s experience prompted his staff to take local action.

“Every week, I review the latest 911 calls and I’m always concerned we’ll see another traumatic head injury or worse,” he said. “AB 1778 won’t eliminate risk, but it would go a long way to protect kids from the kind of injuries Amelia experienced.”

Following the Senate committee’s approval, Connolly said that he looks forward to advocating for AB 1778 on the Senate floor.

“I commend Amelia’s bravery in telling her story and her commitment to raising awareness about the danger of e-bike collisions to prevent more accidents like hers,” he said.