The Atherton Police Department conducted a series of bike safety checks around M-A on Wednesday morning. As students made their way to school, many were stopped by the police due to bike safety issues regarding speed, models of e-bikes, helmet use, and traffic rule violations. While a small number of students received citations, most were simply given warnings. This unexpected enforcement prompted questions and concerns among the community.
Dimitri Andruha, M-A’s school resource officer, explained that the police’s presence was a result of numerous calls from parents and community members about bike safety. “We made a very conscious decision this year to go out and be very proactive about this. It doesn’t mean that we’re trying to be negative, but we’re trying to be educational,” he said.
Officers gave out various consequences to students. Three students were given warnings for not wearing helmets, while two others were given citations for a second offense of riding e-bikes that break the allowed class types. “Some of these consequences were twofold. We keep track of all the warnings so we know we get a warning, and they continue to disobey the law, and it is a vehicle code violation,” Andruha said.
Freshman Lucas Manjon was one of the students who was pulled over. “There were five [motorcycle police officers] on the way back home, and I think it’s way too many,” he said. He was pulled over and was found to have violated the Class 3 law, as it is illegal to ride a bike with a pedal-assist up to 28 mph while under the age of 16.
Freshman Ged Genauer, who was pulled over for a safety check, echoed this sentiment. “I feel kind of mad. I didn’t do anything, and he just pulled me over, and I missed my appointment,” he said.
Following the police presence, M-A principal Karl Loosekoot sent out an email to parents through the weekly newsletter. “M-A was not aware that this enforcement was going to occur,” Loosekoot wrote. Loosekoot also noted that while the police pulling kids over was not unprompted, he did acknowledge that helmets are mandatory while riding bikes.
Parents of students who were given warnings also received notice of the police’s concerns.
As e-bikes have risen in popularity, bike safety has become an increasingly prevalent issue along the peninsula. Because of their higher speeds and frequent use on busy roads, there has been an increased number of collisions and accidents, sparking concerns over safety and what qualifies as appropriate usage.
“We just want everybody to be aware that legally, they are required to wear a helmet under the age of 18 and under. Hopefully, people value the fact that this is very important,” Andruha said.
