Existing law establishes within state government the Transportation Agency, which consists of the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the California Transportation Commission, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Transportation, the High-Speed Rail Authority, and the Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun. The agency is under the supervision of the Secretary of Transportation, who has the power of general supervision over each department within the agency. Existing law imposes various duties on the secretary, including advising the Governor on, and assisting the Governor in establishing, major policy and program matters affecting each department, office, or other unit within the agency.

This bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, require the agency to develop and distribute, on or before September 1, 2025, a bicycle safety handbook that includes information on, among other things, existing laws regulating bicycles and e-bikes. The bill would require the agency to make a downloadable electronic version of the bicycle safety handbook available on the internet, as specified, and in print at specified state offices, including, among others, all Department of Motor Vehicles offices. specified internet websites. In developing the handbook, the bill would require collaboration and consultation between the agency and prescribed state entities, including, among others, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of the California Highway Patrol.

Existing law establishes within state government the Transportation Agency, which consists of the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the California Transportation Commission, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Transportation, the High-Speed Rail Authority, and the Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun. The agency is under the supervision of the Secretary of Transportation, who has the power of general supervision over each department within the agency. Existing law imposes various duties on the secretary, including advising the Governor on, and assisting the Governor in establishing, major policy and program matters affecting each department, office, or other unit within the agency.

This bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, require the agency to develop and distribute, on or before September 1, 2025, a bicycle safety handbook that includes information on, among other things, existing laws regulating bicycles and e-bikes. The bill would require the agency to make a downloadable electronic version of the bicycle safety handbook available on the internet, as specified, and in print at specified state offices, including, among others, all Department of Motor Vehicles offices. In developing the handbook, the bill would require collaboration and consultation between the agency and prescribed state entities, including, among others, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of the California Highway Patrol.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON

Senator Anna Caballero, Chair

2023 - 2024 Regular Session

AB 2259 (Boerner) - Transportation: bicycle safety handbook

Bill Summary:

AB 2259 would require the California Transportation Agency (CalSTA), upon appropriation by the Legislature, to develop and distribute a state handbook on bicycling safety, as specified, by September 1, 2025.

Fiscal Impact:

• CalSTA estimates one-time costs in the low- to mid-hundreds of thousands of dollars in 2025-26 to develop the bicycle safety handbook, which could be accomplished through a contract with an outside entity or by directing a state department within CalSTA, such as the California Highway Patrol (CHP), to perform the work. (State Highway Account or Motor Vehicle Account)
  
• One-time costs for the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), CHP, the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), and the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to collaborate and consult with CalSTA in developing the handbook would be minor (in the range of $20,000 to $30,000 in 2025-26). (Motor Vehicle Account, State Highway Account, and federal funds)

Background:

Existing law requires DMV to publish a summary of the laws regulating the operation of vehicles and the use of highways, commonly known as the California Driver’s Handbook, and to deliver a copy without charge with each original vehicle registration and original driver’s license. The handbook contains information on the rules of the road for both motorists and bicyclists, including specific rights and responsibilities exclusive to bicyclists and riding at night. DMV also maintains webpages on bicycle safety and on the rules governing use of bicycles on roadways, including the obligation of motorists to share the road with cyclists, and recommendations for helmet use, signaling turns, and requirements to have reflectors.

CHP has created a Bicycle Safety Course which provides valuable information related to bicycle safety and maintenance. The course is available for anyone to complete, but is required within 120 days if a rider receives a citation for failing to wear a helmet. CHP, in consultation with OTS, has also created a bicycle and pedestrian tip sheet, which is available on its website, and offers additional education presentations, pamphlets, and bicycle trainings to promote bicycle safety.

Existing law requires CHP to develop statewide safety and training programs, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, for users of electric bicycles (e-bikes), including general e-bike riding safety, emergency maneuver skills, rules of the road, and laws pertaining to e-bikes. These safety and training programs must be posted on CHP’s website by September 1, 2023.

Proposed Law:

AB 2259 would require CalSTA, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to develop and distribute a state handbook on bicycling safety by September 1, 2025, and post a downloadable electronic version of the handbook on the DMV, CHP, and California State Library websites. CalSTA must collaborate and consult with DMV, CHP, OTS, Caltrans, and other specified stakeholders in developing the handbook.

The bill would require the handbook to incorporate evidence-based practices and emerging trends for bicycle and e-bike safety, and to include information on all of the following topics:

• Existing laws regulating bicycles and e-bikes.
• Safety equipment requirements and recommendations.
• Ensuring a bicycle is in good condition before every ride.
• Strategies for lawfully and safely bicycling in various situations, including roads, bikeways, and trails.
• Bicycling after dark.
• Crash avoidance skills.
• Distracted and impaired riding.
• What to do when a bicycle crash occurs.
• Obeying traffic signs and signals.
• Reporting road concerns.
• How to teach children about bicycle safety.
• E-bike types and handling characteristics.
• Recommendations for sharing roads and bikeways with motorists, pedestrians, and other cyclists.

Related Legislation:

AB 1188 (Boerner), which was held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee’s Suspense File last year, was nearly identical to the introduced version of this bill, which also included requirements to make printed copies of the handbook available at specified locations.

AB 1946 (Boerner), Chap. 147/2022, required CHP to develop statewide safety guidelines and training programs, covering topics including general e-bike safety, emergency maneuver skills, rules of the road, and laws on electronic bicycles.

Staff Comments:

This bill only requires CalSTA to develop a state handbook on bicycling safety to the extent funding is appropriated by the Legislature for this purpose. Staff assumes that the soonest this funding could be appropriated following enactment of this bill would be through the 2025-26 Budget Act, which would not be operative until July 1, 2025. As such, the bill does not provide sufficient time following the potential appropriation of funding for CalSTA to collaborate and consult with specified stakeholders, and develop and post the handbook by the September 1, 2025 due date specified in the bill.

Recommended Amendments:

The Committee may wish to consider an amendment to delay the date by which CalSTA must develop the handbook, and to repeal the statute a year after the revised due date of this one-time activity.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Senator Dave Cortese, Chair

2023 - 2024 Regular

Bill No: AB 2259 Hearing Date: 6/11/2024

SUBJECT: Transportation: bicycle safety handbook

DIGEST: This bill requires the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), upon appropriation by the Legislature, to develop and distribute a handbook on bicycling safety on or before September 1, 2025.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Requires the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to publish a synopsis or summary of the laws regulating the operation of vehicles and the use of highways and to deliver a copy without charge with each original vehicle registration and with each original driver’s license. This summary is referred to as the California Driver’s Handbook (DMV Handbook). (Vehicle Code Section (VEH) 1656)
2. The California Vehicle Code contains the state laws that specify where and how bikes must operate. (VEH 21200).
3. Requires the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to develop statewide safety guidelines and training programs, covering topics including general e-bike safety, emergency maneuver skills, rules of the road and laws on electronic bicycles.

This bill:

1. Requires CalSTA to develop a handbook on bicycling safety that incorporates evidence-based practices and emerging trends for bicycle and e-bike safety.
2. Requires the handbook to contain, but not be limited to, information on all of the following topics:
3. Existing laws regulating bicycles and e-bikes;
4. Safety equipment requirements and recommendations;
5. Ensuring a bicycle is in good condition before every ride;
6. Strategies for lawfully and safely bicycling in various situations, including roads, bikeways, and trails;
7. Bicycling after dark;
8. Crash avoidance skills;
9. Distracted and impaired riding;
10. What to do when a bicycle crash occurs;
11. Obeying traffic signs and signals;
12. Reporting road concerns;
13. How to teach children about bicycle safety;
14. E-bike types and handling characteristics; and,
15. Recommendations for sharing roads and bikeways with motorists, pedestrians, and other cyclists.
16. Requires the handbook to be developed in consultation with the following:
17. The DMV;
18. The CHP;
19. The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS);
20. The Department of Transportation (Caltrans);
21. Representatives from major bicycling advocacy organizations;
22. Representatives from a statewide motorist service member organizations; and,
23. Other stakeholders the department deems necessary.
24. Requires CalSTA to post the handbook on the internet website of the DMV and any other state department or agency that the agency deems appropriate.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose of the bill. According to the author, “In August 2022, the Carlsbad city council approved an emergency proclamation due to a 233% increase in accidents involving e-bikes and bicycles. The proclamation included the implementation of several traffic safety efforts directed specifically toward making the city’s roads safer for cyclists. Shortly thereafter in May 2023, a teenager in the City of Encinitas lost his life in an e-bike collision with a motorized vehicle. We all know when you are on a bicycle or e-bike, you are the most vulnerable during an accident. This bicycle safety handbook is intended to provide information for safe bicycling in California, including the value of using proper equipment, rules of the road, safety tips, and a bicyclist’s rights and responsibilities. Having access to the information in the handbook and practicing safe riding skills will enable bicyclists to prevent the risk of serious injuries and even death.”
2. Existing DMV resources. DMV publishes the DMV Handbook annually, which provides a synopsis of existing law and rules of the road. The DMV Handbook provides an accessible means for potential and current drivers to understand the rules of the road. It is also used as the basis for a written exam when an applicant applies for a driver’s license. The latest DMV Handbook is 92 pages and contains information on the rules of the road for both motorists and bicyclists. In addition, page 47 of the DMV Handbook lays out the responsibilities of bicyclists, special responsibilities for bicycling at night, and where on the road a bicyclist is required to ride. The DMV Handbook is easily found online, however, one must navigate through the Handbook in order to find the specific section related to bikes. Further, the bicycle section does not make mention of e-bikes and assumes that the reader understands that the rights and responsibilities laid out for bikes includes both e-bikes and traditional pedal bikes.

In addition to several pages in the DMV Handbook dedicated to the rights and responsibilities exclusive to bicyclists, DMV also has a webpage with safety tips for bicyclists. The page is located under the “Driver Guides” section on its education and safety page and is difficult to find unless you know it exists. The page has limited information, but includes recommendations for wearing a helmet, how to signal turns, the requirements to have reflectors, and where cyclists are allowed to ride on the road. 

1. Existing CHP resources. The CHP has created an online Bicycle Safety Course, which is available for anyone to complete. The course holds valuable information related to bicycle safety and maintenance and covers much of the information called for in this bill. This course is findable online, however, the direct link is not accessible and cannot be reached via the CHP’s website. Instead, the committee was able to access the course via the California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike) website. Beyond this course, CHP offers additional education presentations, pamphlets, and bicycle trainings to promote bicycle safety in the state. These are more directly accessible but they are not the most easily searchable online. Creating one dedicated handbook that brings together existing DMV and CHP resources would make a more unified and accessible resource for riders and parents.
2. Improving bike safety and handbook updates. While it is hard to argue that a dedicated bicycle safety handbook would not contribute to a safer bike riding experience in the state of California, especially given the heavy adoption and rapid development of e-bike technology, it is also hard to quantify its direct impact. Given that the DMV and CHP already publish resources on bicycle safety in the state that largely address the topics noted in this bill along with extensive additional resources that are easily found online from reputable sources like the Centers for Disease Control and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, bicyclists who want to be informed of their rights, responsibilities, and safety guidance have a myriad of options to do so. Adding an additional tool, while not harmful, will likely not change the behavior of those riders who are not concerned with safety. In addition, unlike the existing DMV Handbook, which includes bicycle safety information, this handbook is not required to be updated annually to reflect any new rules of the road. This could create confusion amongst bicyclists in the future if they continue to refer to the CalSTA Handbook even though it is not required to be updated to reflect new state laws relating to bicycles.
3. Responsible agency. This bill requires CalSTA to develop the Bicycle Handbook in consultation with other agencies as specified. As noted above, DMV is already in charge of writing the handbook for motorists and has pages in that handbook for bicyclists. Therefore, it may appear that DMV is in a better position to write a separate handbook specifically for bicyclists. However, other agencies like the CHP, as noted, also produce resources related to bike safety and use. For that reason, it makes sense to have CalSTA serve as the leader of the report functioning as a convener gathering the specified agencies and compelling them to produce the information necessary for the new Handbook.

Related Legislation:

AB 1188 (Boerner of 2023) - Was nearly identical to this bill. This bill was held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1946 (Boerner, Chapter 147, Statutes of 2022) - Required CHP to develop statewide safety guidelines and training programs, covering topics including general e-bike safety, emergency maneuver skills, rules of the road and laws on electronic bicycles.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

According to Assembly Appropriations Committee, "The California Highway Patrol (CHP), which is a subunit with CalSTA, will experience costs of approximately $28,000 to create the bicycle safety handbook and minor costs to post it electronically. CHP also anticipates similar, though lesser ongoing costs to update the handbook annually.

According to the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO), the MVA—the main funding source for the CHP—is expected to fully exhaust its reserves and become insolvent in fiscal year 2025‑26. The LAO further warns that the MVA, absent corrective action, such as revenue increases or spending reductions, will experience a negative fund balance of $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2028‑29."

POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.)

SUPPORT:

AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah
Automobile Club of Southern California
California Association of Bicycling Organizations
California Bicycle Coalition
California Orthopedic Association
Orange County Transportation Authority
Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC)

OPPOSITION:

None received

-- END --

ASSEMBLY THIRD READING

ATR Bill Id:AB 2259

Author:(Boerner)

As Amended Ver:May 16, 2024

Majority vote

SUMMARY

Requires the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), upon appropriation by the Legislature, to develop and distribute a handbook on bicycling safety on or before September 1, 2025.

Major Provisions

1. Requires the handbook to incorporate evidence-based practices and emerging trends for bicycle and e-bike safety.
2. Requires CalSTA to post the handbook on the internet websites of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) California Highway Patrol (CHP), state libraries, and any other state offices the agency deems appropriate.

COMMENTS

DMV publishes the DMV Handbook annually which provides a synopsis of existing law and rules of the road. The DMV Handbook provides an accessible means for potential and current drivers to understand the rules of the road and is used as the basis for a written exam when an applicant applies for a driver's license. The latest DMV Handbook is 92 pages and contains information on the rules of the road for both motorists and bicyclists. In addition, page 47 of the DMV Handbook lays out the responsibilities of bicyclists, special responsibilities for bicycling at night, and where on the road a bicyclist is required to ride. 

In addition to several pages in the DMV Handbook dedicated to the rights and responsibilities exclusive to bicyclists, DMV also has a webpage with safety tips for bicyclists. The page is located under the "Driver Guides" section on its education and safety page and is difficult to find unless you know it exists. The page has limited information, but includes recommendations for wearing a helmet, how to signal turns, the requirements to have reflectors, and where cyclists are allowed to ride on the road.

Several states have created bicycle-specific handbooks, including Colorado, Oregon, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Texas.

The DMV Handbook already provides useful information for cyclists. The DMV Handbook in its most recent iteration contains a page on the specific rights and responsibilities of bicyclists and includes much of the information this bill wants to include in a separate handbook, including tips for cyclists on how to ride at night.

Unlike the DMV Handbook, the handbook this bill requires CalSTA to create is not required to be updated annually to reflect any new rules of the road. Should this bill continue to move forward, the Legislature may want to consider if DMV, who is in charge of writing the handbook for motorists and already has pages in that handbook for bicyclists, is in a better position to write a separate handbook specifically for bicyclists. The author may also wish to better align when the bicycle handbook has to be updated and released with the release of the handbook for motorists.

According to the Author

According to the author, "In August 2022, the Carlsbad city council approved an emergency proclamation due to a 233% increase in accidents involving e-bikes and bicycles. The proclamation included the implementation of several traffic safety efforts directed specifically toward making the city's roads safer for cyclists. Shortly thereafter in May 2023, a teenager in the City of Encinitas lost his life in an e-bike collision with a motorized vehicle. We all know when you are on a bicycle or e-bike, you are the most vulnerable during an accident. This bicycle safety handbook is intended to provide information for safe bicycling in California, including the value of using proper equipment, rules of the road, safety tips, and a bicyclist's rights and responsibilities. Having access to the information in the handbook and practicing safe riding skills will enable bicyclists to prevent the risk of serious injuries and even death."

Arguments in Support

The California Association of Bicycling Organizations (CABO), writing in support of this bill, argue "New California laws are continually being enacted to address bicycling traffic safety, such as the 3' feet for Safety Act, the new change lanes to pass rule, and youth helmet requirements. In addition, roadway design, signs, and markings are regularly modified to improve bicycling and walking safety. New bikeway types, such as Cycle Tracks or separated bikeways (one-way and two-way), bicycle-specific traffic signals, shared lane marking or "sharrows", green-paint highlighted bike lanes, traffic circles/roundabouts, are all important changes for increasing a bicyclist's safety. Yet, many of these changes can be confusing for bicyclists even though they are intended to make bicycling a preferred choice of transportation and recreation. Successful bicycling while using these new safety rules and designs is more likely when this information is provided by an authoritative source, such as a California Bicycle Safety Handbook."

Arguments in Opposition

None on file

FISCAL COMMENTS

According to Assembly Appropriations Committee, "The California Highway Patrol (CHP), which is a subunit with CalSTA, will experience costs of approximately $28,000 to create the bicycle safety handbook and minor costs to post it electronically. CHP also anticipates similar, though lesser ongoing costs to update the handbook annually.

According to the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO), the MVA—the main funding source for the CHP—is expected to fully exhaust its reserves and become insolvent in fiscal year 2025‑26. The LAO further warns that the MVA, absent corrective action, such as revenue increases or spending reductions, will experience a negative fund balance of $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2028‑29."

VOTES

ASM TRANSPORTATION: 13-0-2

YES: Wilson, Vince Fong, Aguiar-Curry, Berman, Juan Carrillo, Davies, Jackson, Lowenthal, Papan, Sanchez, Ta, Ting, Ward

ABS, ABST OR NV: Hart, Wicks

ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 11-0-4

YES: Wicks, Arambula, Bryan, Calderon, Wendy Carrillo, Mike Fong, Grayson, Haney, Hart, Pellerin, Villapudua

ABS, ABST OR NV: Sanchez, Dixon, Jim Patterson, Ta

UPDATED

VERSION: May 16, 2024

CONSULTANT: David Sforza / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093 FN: 0003345

Date of Hearing: April 10, 2024

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Buffy Wicks, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2259

Author:(Boerner) – As Introduced Ver:February 8, 2024

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill requires the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), upon appropriation, to develop and distribute a bicycle safety handbook on or before September 1, 2025, that incorporates evidence-based practices and emerging trends for bicycle and e-bike safety.

FISCAL EFFECT:

The California Highway Patrol (CHP), which is a subunit with CalSTA, will experience roughly $4.1 million in one-time costs, as follows: approximately $28,000 to create the bicycle safety handbook, approximately $3.9 million to produce and print the handbook, and approximately $200,000 to distribute the handbook (special fund, most likely the Motor Vehicle Account (MVA)). CHP also anticipates similar ongoing costs to update the handbook and print it annually.

According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), the MVA—the main funding source for the CHP—is expected to fully exhaust its reserves and become insolvent in fiscal year 2025‑26. The LAO further warns that the MVA, absent corrective action, such as revenue increases or spending reductions, will experience a negative fund balance of $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2028‑29.

COMMENTS:

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) produces a driver’s handbook and delivers it, free of charge, with each original vehicle registration and each original driver’s license. The handbook includes information that summarizes the laws regulating the operation of vehicles and the use of highways, which includes laws regarding bicycles. However, the handbook is, generally, written from the perspective of motorists.

DMV also maintains webpages on bicycle safety and on the rules governing use of bicycles on roadways, including the obligation of motorists to share the road with cyclists.

The CHP has a bicycle safety pamphlet that is available to the public and produces the online Electric Bicycle Safety and Training website.

The committee is unaware of another bicycle handbook issued by a state agency.

The author notes a significant increase in bicycle accidents in the City of Carlsbad and intends the bicycle safety handbook to increase the safety of cyclists. According to the author:

We all know when you are on a bicycle or e-bike, you are the most vulnerable during an accident. This bicycle safety handbook is intended to provide information for safe bicycling in California, including the value of using proper equipment, rules of the road, safety tips, and a bicyclist’s rights and responsibilities. Having access to the information in the handbook and practicing safe riding skills will enable bicyclists to prevent the risk of serious injuries and even death.

AB 1188 (Boerner) of this legislative session is nearly identical to this bill and was held on this committee’s suspense file.

AB 1946 (Boerner), Chapter 147, Statutes of 2022 required CHP to develop statewide safety guidelines and training programs statewide safety and training programs based on evidence-based practices for users of electric bicycles, including general electric bicycle riding safety, emergency maneuver skills, rules of the road and laws pertaining to electronic bicycles.

Analysis Prepared by: Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: March 19, 2024

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Lori D. Wilson, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2259 (

Author:Boerner) – As Introduced Ver:February 8, 2024

SUBJECT: Transportation: bicycle safety handbook

SUMMARY: Requires the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), upon appropriation by the Legislature, to develop and distribute a handbook on bicycling safety on or before September 1, 2025. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires the handbook to incorporate evidence-based practices and emerging trends for bicycle and e-bike safety.
2. Requires the handbook to contain, but not be limited to, information on all of the following topics:
3. Existing laws regulating bicycles and e-bikes;
4. Safety equipment requirements and recommendations;
5. Ensuring a bicycle is in good condition before every ride;
6. Strategies for lawfully and safely bicycling in various situations, including roads, bikeways, and trails;
7. Bicycling after dark;
8. Crash avoidance skills;
9. Distracted and impaired riding;
10. What to do when a bicycle crash occurs;
11. Obeying traffic signs and signals;
12. Reporting road concerns;
13. How to teach children about bicycle safety;
14. E-bike types and handling characteristics; and,
15. Recommendations for sharing roads and bikeways with motorists, pedestrians, and other cyclists.
16. Requires the handbook to be developed in consultation with the following:
17. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV);
18. The Department of the California Highway Patrol (CHP);
19. The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS);
20. The Department of Transportation (Caltrans);
21. Representatives from major bicycling advocacy organizations;
22. Representatives from a statewide motorist service member organizations; and,
23. Other stakeholders the department deems necessary.
24. Requires CalSTA to post the handbook on the internet website of the DMV and any other state department or agency that the agency deems appropriate. Requires CalSTA to make printed copies of the bicycle safety handbook available to the public at the DMV, CHP offices, state libraries, and any other state offices the agency deems appropriate.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Requires DMV to publish a synopsis or summary of the laws regulating the operation of vehicles and the use of highways and to deliver a copy without charge with each original vehicle registration and with each original driver’s license. This summary is referred to as the California Driver’s Handbook (DMV Handbook). (Vehicle Code Section (VEH) 1656)

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS:

DMV publishes the DMV Handbook annually which provides a synopsis of existing law and rules of the road. The DMV Handbook provides an accessible means for potential and current drivers to understand the rules of the road and is used as the basis for a written exam when an applicant applies for a driver’s license. The latest DMV Handbook is 92 pages and contains information on the rules of the road for both motorists and bicyclists. In addition, page 47 of the DMV Handbook lays out the responsibilities of bicyclists, special responsibilities for bicycling at night, and where on the road a bicyclist is required to ride. 

In addition to several pages in the DMV Handbook dedicated to the rights and responsibilities exclusive to bicyclists, DMV also has a webpage with safety tips for bicyclists. The page is located under the “Driver Guides” section on its education and safety page and is difficult to find unless you know it exists. The page has limited information, but includes recommendations for wearing a helmet, how to signal turns, the requirements to have reflectors, and where cyclists are allowed to ride on the road. 

According to the author, “In August 2022, the Carlsbad city council approved an emergency proclamation due to a 233% increase in accidents involving e-bikes and bicycles. The proclamation included the implementation of several traffic safety efforts directed specifically toward making the city’s roads safer for cyclists. Shortly thereafter in May 2023, a teenager in the City of Encinitas lost his life in an e-bike collision with a motorized vehicle. We all know when you are on a bicycle or e-bike, you are the most vulnerable during an accident. This bicycle safety handbook is intended to provide information for safe bicycling in California, including the value of using proper equipment, rules of the road, safety tips, and a bicyclist’s rights and responsibilities. Having access to the information in the handbook and practicing safe riding skills will enable bicyclists to prevent the risk of serious injuries and even death.”

Several states have created bicycle-specific handbooks, including Colorado, Oregon, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Texas.

The California Association of Bicycling Organizations (CABO), writing in support of this bill, argue “New California laws are continually being enacted to address bicycling traffic safety, such as the 3’ feet for Safety Act, the new change lanes to pass rule, and youth helmet requirements. In addition, roadway design, signs, and markings are regularly modified to improve bicycling and walking safety. New bikeway types, such as Cycle Tracks or separated bikeways (one-way and two-way), bicycle-specific traffic signals, shared lane marking or “sharrows”, green-paint highlighted bike lanes, traffic circles/roundabouts, are all important changes for increasing a bicyclist’s safety. Yet, many of these changes can be confusing for bicyclists even though they are intended to make bicycling a preferred choice of transportation and recreation. Successful bicycling while using these new safety rules and designs is more likely when this information is provided by an authoritative source, such as a California Bicycle Safety Handbook.”

Committee concerns: The DMV Handbook already provides useful information for cyclists. The DMV Handbook in its most recent iteration contains a page on the specific rights and responsibilities of bicyclists and includes much of the information this bill wants to include in a separate handbook, including tips for cyclists on how to ride at night. 

Unlike the DMV Handbook, the handbook this bill requires CalSTA to create is not required to be updated annually to reflect any new rules of the road. Should this bill continue to move forward, the Legislature may want to consider if DMV, who is in charge of writing the handbook for motorists and already has pages in that handbook for bicyclists, is in a better position to write a separate handbook specifically for bicyclists. The author may also wish to better align when the bicycle handbook has to be updated and released with the release of the handbook for motorists.

In addition, DMV is currently trying to reduce the number of individuals that come into a DMV field office to better manage wait times. It is doing so by increasingly digitizing the functions of the DMV. In line with this digital shift, the author may want to consider removing the provisions of the bill requiring physical copies of the new bicycle handbook to be printed out and placed in DMV offices and instead limit the bicycle handbook to a digital form.

Previous Legislation: AB 1188 (Boerner of 2023) was nearly identical to this bill. That bill was held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1946 (Boerner), Chapter 147, Statutes of 2022 required CHP to develop statewide safety guidelines and training programs, covering topics including general e-bike safety, emergency maneuver skills, rules of the road and laws on electronic bicycles.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

California Association of Bicycling Organizations

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: David Sforza / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093