In an unprecedented push to curb a surge in roadway collisions and severe injuries, law enforcement officials in Orange County, California, are initiating a public safety campaign modeled directly on traditional weapon turn-in drives. The program invites residents to surrender unwanted electric bicycles, e-motorcycles, and related motorized transport in exchange for store gift cards with no questions asked.
Local prosecutors and community leaders believe the initiative represents the first gun-style buyback program for electric two-wheelers in the United States. Combining broad public outreach with aggressive traffic safety enforcement, the effort aims to address the proliferating hazards posed by high-powered personal mobility devices on suburban streets and pedestrian thoroughfares.
The Buy Back Safety event is scheduled to take place at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, operating on Sunday, September 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Organizers are preparing to process a wide variety of non-traditional vehicles, including electric bicycles, specialized e-motos, stand-up electric scooters, and miniature pocket bikes.
Under the financial framework established for the drive, participants will receive merchant gift cards valued between $200 and $1,000, depending on the specific category, engine type, and power capacity of the surrendered equipment. The smallest eligible units, such as gas-powered pocket bikes, qualify for the baseline $200 payout, while higher-tier electric models and modified e-motorcycles command larger sums.
To encourage robust community participation, organizers have partnered with major national retailers, offering redeemable gift cards from Walmart, Target, and Dick's Sporting Goods. As an added incentive for early arrivals, the first 75 individuals who line up to turn in their devices will also be awarded complimentary tickets to an upcoming Angels baseball game.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer has positioned the buyback as an essential intervention to protect neighborhood safety and prevent preventable casualties. In statements announcing the initiative, Spitzer stressed that modern electric vehicles possess power levels far beyond recreational toys and can quickly yield disastrous results when handled improperly.
Spitzer noted that the primary target of the initiative is removing dangerous, unlawful, and illegally modified machinery from public thoroughfares, particularly when operated by individuals who lack the training, age requirements, or legal authority to manage them safely. He emphasized that local authorities are deploying every available resource to lower accident rates and save lives.
The aggressive countywide push follows alarming public health and traffic safety metrics recorded throughout California. Comprehensive data compiled by researchers at UC San Diego alongside the California Statewide Integrated Traffic Record System demonstrate an exponential spike in electric bike-related injuries in recent years, highlighting an emerging trauma trend across medical facilities.
According to research findings, the surge in traffic mishaps and hospitalizations has been particularly pronounced among children and young teenagers between the ages of 11 and 14. These younger operators frequently interact with mixed vehicular traffic on powerful machines capable of reaching speeds well above those of traditional pedal cycles.
The sweeping nature of the buyback has nonetheless ignited discussion among cycling organizations and micromobility advocates. Advocacy leaders have underscored the importance of distinguishing between standard, low-speed e-bikes and high-powered e-motorcycles, arguing that responsible riders on pedal-assist bicycles should not be conflated with those operating unregistered, high-speed motorbikes that legally require a driver's license.
While advocates emphasize that standard e-bikes remain fully lawful and beneficial when operated responsibly, crash statistics frequently trace the most severe impacts to high-velocity e-motos rather than traditional pedal-assist frames. Despite these functional distinctions, Orange County officials have maintained an all-encompassing approach for the event, welcoming any unwanted model to reduce overall congestion and road hazards.
The Anaheim stadium event marks the latest development in an expanding regional strategy orchestrated by the District Attorney’s office. In May, county officials inaugurated a specialized crackdown unit known as the RIDE SAFELY task force, designed to blend public safety education with heightened on-the-ground enforcement of vehicle codes.
Building upon the enforcement task force, the county subsequently piloted an electric bicycle and motorcycle registry program in August. Officials are currently collaborating with local schools and municipal police departments to test the database locally, with the long-term objective of expanding the registration framework into a standardized statewide policy across California.
Simultaneously, state lawmakers in Sacramento are pursuing legislative remedies to regulate the rapidly growing micromobility market. Current legislative proposals under consideration seek to mandate comprehensive educational courses for teenage operators and establish strict statutory accountability for manufacturers and retail stores to ensure all vehicles are accurately categorized and labeled at the point of sale.
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