06/01/2026
On May 23rd, 2026, at approximately 1643 hours, Woodland PD officers responded to a collision at D**e Access Rd. and Robinson Rd involving a vehicle and an E-bike.
On arrival, officers discovered the E-bike had been occupied by two juvenile riders who both sustained injuries and were transported to the hospital. Officers found that the E-bike was at fault for the collision after failing to stop at the intersection. Further investigation found the E-bike was rated at over 1000 watts and, as a result, under the revised code of Washington (RCW 46.04.169), was not defined as an electric assist bicycle but rather an electric motorcycle requiring registration and a licensed rider.
Due to the age of the riders, an infraction was issued to the driver's parent for allowing them access to the vehicle under RCW 46.20.024.
***WDPD has noted a serious increase in juveniles, some as young as 10-years-old, riding E-bikes that are in excess of 750 watts and therefore not classified as a bicycle under RCW.
An E-bike is not for street use, even if it is pedal-assist, if it exceeds 750 watts and is not road legal with registration, turn signals, head/tail lamps, and a state permit (eligibility starting at 16) or endorsement (must be 18 or older).
Furthermore, parents or legal guardians who allow their children to utilize these “electric motorcycles” on public roadways may be fined.
Warnings have been issued to many young riders found on public roadways, but the issue persists. With summer break starting soon, WDPD would like all parents to take the time to look at their child’s E-bike and, based on the rated wattage, give guidance to their child on where and when they can use it.***
46.04.071 "Bicycle" means every device propelled solely by human power, or an electric[1]assisted bicycle as defined in RCW 46.04.169, upon which a person or persons may ride, having two tandem wheels either of which is sixteen inches or more in diameter, or three wheels, any one of which is twenty inches or more in diameter.
46.04.169 "Electric-assisted bicycle" means a bicycle with two or three wheels, a saddle, fully operative pedals for human propulsion, and an electric motor. The electric-assisted bicycle's electric motor must have a power output of no more than seven hundred fifty watts. The electric[1]assisted bicycle must meet the requirements of one of the following three classifications: (1) "Class 1 electric-assisted bicycle" means an electric-assisted bicycle in which the motor provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of twenty miles per hour; (2) "Class 2 electric-assisted bicycle" means an electric-assisted bicycle in which the motor may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and is not capable of providing assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of twenty miles per hour; or (3) "Class 3 electric-assisted bicycle" means an electric-assisted bicycle in which the motor provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of twenty-eight miles per hour and is equipped with a speedometer.
46.04.330 "Motorcycle" means a motor vehicle designed to travel on not more than three wheels, not including any stabilizing conversion kits, on which the driver: (1) Rides on a seat or saddle and the motor vehicle is designed to be steered with a handlebar; or (2) Rides on a seat in a partially or completely enclosed seating area that is equipped with safety belts and the motor vehicle is designed to be steered with a steering wheel. "Motorcycle" excludes a farm tractor, a power wheelchair, an electric personal assistive mobility device, a motorized foot scooter, an electric-assisted bicycle, and a moped.
46.20.024 “Unlawful to allow unauthorized minors to drive” No person shall cause or knowingly permit his or her child or ward under the age of eighteen years to drive a motor vehicle upon any highway when such minor is not authorized hereunder or in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter.
