E-Bike Training Course Aims To Teach South OC Kids To Ride Safely

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — Jennifer Robbins is busy at work preparing for her first e-bike training course on Saturday at Marco Forster Middle School.

She's an involved mother who has educated herself and her kids how to ride their e-bikes safely, something needed in South Orange County, she says. More than 50 families agree with her, as her first-ever training course, planned for Oct. 2. The class is free to attend, she said.

During the pandemic, the Robbins family incorporated e-bikes to get the family out of the house, primarily so she could connect with her 13-year-old daughter. The e-bikes have become an outlet for getting outside. For Robbins, the decision to cultivate an e-bike safety class was a natural one.

“We go on adventures,” Robbins said to Patch. “It’s a great way to spend time together, to interact, and to be outside and be able to go miles from home without worry.” Robbins drives her utility bike with a seat on the back and a surfboard rack. At times the family makes the scary — but necessary — crossing over Pacific Coast Highway to get to their favorite beach.

“A driver recently questioned why we weren’t in the bike lane without realizing there was not one there!” Robbins said. The family took their ABC quick bike check classes. She dictated to her daughter how to get over safely, how to watch for cars, make the necessary cross from one side to another, side by side, and safely reach the beach lot. Then, they do the same thing on the way home, in reverse.

This tactic is something many young riders aren’t knowledgeable about, Robbins said, and she wants to see change. After all, knowledge is power. Even beyond that, she hopes to help educate young people to ride in the proper place, in bike lanes and not on the sidewalks, where hidden dangers reside.

Over the past two months, e-bike crashes have been on the rise in south Orange County. There have been six incidents with crashes, according to reports. A fatal crash recently involved a mother of two children who crashed and died in San Juan Capistrano.

“Parents thought that the first fatal crash in the county would be a teenager,” she says. “It was a terrible tragedy.” The crash has also opened parents’ eyes to the dangers of not knowing the road rules.

Four months ago, Robbins ordered her daughter’s e-bike, provided her child would learn the road rules.

The Rad Runner plus bike box sat in the living room alongside a test from the DMV. Her daughter promised to learn the rules of driving before the bike would come out of the box. Four days later, she did. Her 13-year-old daughter also signed a behavior contract. If her daughter breaches the contract, Robbins will take the bike away.

“Having an e-bike is a privilege, like having a driver’s license," Robbins said.

With many parents in Orange county getting the bikes, it was time to open up a new opportunity — especially considering many e-bikes can go up to 20 miles per hour.

“I grew tired of seeing kids get hurt while riding bikes through the streets of San Juan Capistrano,” she says. Robbins set up the training for Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Marco Forster Middle School. About 50 students have signed up for the class, all between 10 and 17 years old. Each will get a packet that includes DMV information, a fact sheet and a test for parents to make sure their children understand the road rules.

“Kids need to learn how to communicate with drivers and be predictable on the road. Otherwise, they’re going to get hit.”

In Robbins’ understanding, nearly all of the crashes in South Orange County in the past two months have been bicycle errors, not motorist errors.

“Kids have fallen off sidewalks, made illegal turns, crashed into fire hydrants while riding on the sidewalks,” she says. Sidewalks are a massive source of danger, in her opinion. She has also watched kids throttle at full speed down a hill and wants to help the younger set understand the risks of driving in such an unpredictable manner.

“Sidewalks are so dangerous,” she said. “There are so many obstacles, especially for e-bike riders."

There will also be a practical side of the Saturday class for those who bring their bikes.

“We’ll be teaching, bike maintenance, what to do before you leave home, brake adjustments, as well as how long it takes a car and a heavy-duty truck to stop, to show them what otherwise they may not understand," Robbins said.

Robbins will have an 11-ton truck at the scene to fully show how long it takes to come to a complete stop.

San Juan Capistrano Police Services Chief has expressed support however they will not be on hand this weekend.

A Laguna Beach School resource officer will attend, she says, giving further clout for the cause.

She has collected raffle items donated from local e-bike sales centers from San Clemente, Dana Point, that will be raffled off for free at the event.

“Bikes are vehicles, period,” she says. “Bike riders have to follow the rules of the road - just like drivers. No matter the age of the rider.”

Read:

San Juan Capistrano Mother Dies In E-Bike Crash, Children Injured