FOLSOM, Calif. — The city of Folsom partnered with the city of Rancho Cordova, both cities’ police departments and the Folsom Cordova Unified School District to release a public service announcement ahead of the holiday season about the gifting of e-scooters.
E-scooters have an electric motor, two wheels, handlebars and a floorboard for standing, according to state law.
“While e-scooters may appear appealing, their safety implications are significant and deserve careful consideration,” the joint statement said.
Folsom Police Department spokesman Cmdr. Andrew Bates said California e-scooter riders must possess a California driver’s license or learner’s permit. Local law states e-scooters riders must be at least 16 years old, and helmets are required for riders under 18.
“Unlicensed e-scooter riders, including riders without California driver’s license learner’s permits, may ride e-scooters on private property only,” Bates said. “The California driver’s license requirement applies to all streets, sidewalks, city of Folsom bicycle trails and all California State Park bicycle trails as well.”
The department filed two e-scooter collisions out of 504 traffic collision reports in 2022 and 10 e-scooter collisions out of 566 collision reports in 2023, Bates said.
“During this last summer, the city of Folsom seemed to be inundated with a high number of subjects riding e-scooters and e-bicycles, most of which were e-scooters, and the majority of e-scooter riders were juveniles,” Bates said.
Bates said many of the minors contacted were not wearing helmets and some had passengers on the e-scooters.
Local law says riders cannot have any passengers and requires they wear or fasten reflectors to the vehicle.
The joint statement was a product of seeing many minors riding e-scooters to the middle schools and high schools beginning in August, he said.
Many posts by the department on electric vehicles are published by the Folsom police as part of an advisement campaign to raise awareness of the laws surrounding e-scooters, e-bikes and e-motorcycles, law enforcement said.
E-bikes are separated by type; type 1 and type 2 e-bikes reach speeds of 20 mph, while type 3 e-bikes can get closer to 30 mph, according to the city.
No e-bike collisions were reported in 2022, Bates said. There were seven e-bike collisions reported in 2023, and two of them were fatal, according to the Folsom Police Department.
Bates said both e-bicyclists involved in the collisions were found to be at fault. California law requires type 3 e-bike riders to be a minimum of 16 years old, but no driver’s license is needed to operate.
California law requires e-scooter riders to operate on the proper pathways anywhere between 15 mph and 35 mph, depending on the local authority’s ordinances.
In Folsom, the maximum scooter speed is 15 mph on bike paths and lanes, according to the city’s website.
“The high speeds and required traffic navigation skills make e-scooters particularly risky for young, inexperienced riders,” the joint statement said.
Most traffic laws apply to motorized scooters, but the law states a motorized scooter is not a motor vehicle because a rider is not subject to vehicle registration or license plate requirements.
The law also prohibits the operation of a scooter under the influence of alcohol. A conviction is punishable by a $250 fine.
“Let's focus on gifting options that combine fun with safety this holiday season,” the joint statement said.
