Why so many accidents with E-Bikes

E-Bikes are fantastic but their accident statistics are alarming!

[TheKsteve]

It's not the fact It's an e bike, idiots use e bikes, cars, lorries etc, just the same as sensible people.
Don't blame the bike, blame the operator.

[kimberlyjfurey]

As an E-bike rider, I do my best to observe traffic laws & safety, and so many non-electric bikers zoom past me without so much as a bell. It's the people, not the machines.

[gotharchaeologist]

Here in the US most cycling is done in the same space as cars, so being able to keep up with traffic and accelerate faster has been helpful.

[Sator]

I think there is more to it. In Norway the speed is limited to 25kmh, but I see grown men and women, who probably have been driving a car for decades suddenly seem to totally forget the importance of being predictable and clear on your intent in traffic, like positioning in the road, hands signals etc. And I also see a lot of care free cycling, guns blazing over zebra crossings, wrong way on the bicycle lane on the road, going on red lights with a “if I hurry I will probably make it” attitude.

And there is not just a few people doing it, the pre covid commute can be mayhem. I really don’t understand what goes through their mind.

I’m getting really bothered by this as a cyclist. Quite often when I approach a zebra crossing on the road, pedestrians about to cross freeze with fear in their eyes “oh crap, a cyclist, he will run me over if I cross”. Many times I have to wave pedestrians over that have the right of way before they dare to walk. And cars that have the right of way too for that matter.

[valival_and_tine]

It doesn't really matter what you ride, a bike, ebike, motorcycle whatever. First of all it matters to ride it carefully cautious considerate to all other people, road users, animals and everything else. And whatever you ride it's functioning properly so it's not a danger for anyone and yourself. I had a bicycle with a 2000w motor, it could reach 37 mph but I didn't kill anyone and I'm still alive because I knew my bike very well, the brakes, the acceleration and I was always careful and considerate to others. The road it's not your own, you must share it with others and it's there for you to go somewhere, not to be an careless asshole. So it's about the man, not the bike

[roberthansen]

If you have ever ridden a motorcycle and and a (fast) E-Bike, you immediately notice the difference in stability. Besides the fact that E-Bikes are not built for street speeds (like are motorcycles), they are usually ridden where bicycles ride and they are going too fast there, but they can't ride where cars ride because they are too slow there. Whenever you have vehicles going at greatly different speeds, accidents are going to increase.

[martinshelton]

Our eBikes are limited to 25kph with pedal assist by law in Australia!

[badabing]

Here in UK we have ebike laws limiting the motor to 250w and 15.5mph. They are legal EAPCs. I agree with one poster who says you get idiots whichever mode of transport. The overriding thing is they do so without due care and attention to other road users. Often because they are just selfish and won’t be told otherwise. So don’t blame
The ebike blame the riders who are selfish, ride too fast and without due care and attention.

[JackyThrilla]

Your video shows the reasons why I don't like to ride my bike in the city. I'm "fast" most time faster than E-bike riders, except on climbs, but in the flats I'm usually overtaking these guys, and most of them ride like there is no other cyclist around. Whem I come to crossings with the priority to the right, 3 out of 4 times I got ignored from any road users, especially those with motors (especially cars and trucks). So that's why I go outside the city to ride mostly on farm lanes and roads. No more a..h...s around.

[tranminhnhat]

I think the solution is to have a license for e-bike. e-bike is a transportation that have comparable speed to normal car and motorcycle. An uneducated person who are clueless of traffic rule that have access to something that are as fast as car and motorcycle is mildly dangerous

[larondiealpha]

Get passed by the road bike users all the time. talking about safety and those guys/girls blow by me, stop signs and lights only wearing a non DOT helmet and another layer of skin (lycra). Your argument is time served on a bike. i grew up on a bike headed back and forth to school, friends houses and anywhere else around town. i also have ridden mopeds to 600cc sport bikes. Ebikes are fine as long as there isn't an asshole riding it, the same as driving a car. I watched my dad come home with missing skin and a boken collar bone a few times. My dad watched one of his team members get ran over by a truck and killed. Nearly every accident that happened was because of a CAR. the other accidents was doing over 30mph on tires as skinny as a little finger. That being said (because there is a motor involved) i think there should be a training certification before riding on the streets and i don't think anyone under 18 should be legally allowed to ride one on their own. really not trying to be cynical but there are people who passed their driver license who should not be on the road.

[carolinastark]

As a 20year plus registered nurse in Southern California if have seen death on a regular bike at slow speeds from slipping on gravel and landing wrong. Just know any cycling will leads to falls. Hopefully minor ones mostly. Be careful out there. I rode a 7 speed around town during covid lockdown and had little falls here and there.There was no one, zero cars or people on the road.Got a few scratches but still ride with respect to speed and safety at all times...

[paullake]

The Problem: Riders with the skills/reaction time for 15 mph are riding 25-30 mph

[duchessstudioband]

A good idea is for cyclists and ebikers(I'm one of those), is to drive like you are in a car, following traffic laws. I am safety minded, I wear a full helmet, have turn signals, brake lights.

[josemiguelmunoz]

A license, helmet, lights, insurance and registration for electric bikes and scooters should be mandatory. Of course any kind of modifications and custom makings shoult de banned.

[liokin]

The inexperience + speed is the issue here. On a normal bike you need to work your way up to being fast. As you do this you become an experienced rider who knows how to handle yourself on the road in traffic. A lot of these people are riding these bikes as their first bikes since they were children, and they're riding aggressively at speed, and they don't know how to get themselves out of tricky situations that come up in traffic. I have muscle memory of what to do and how to react.

[dalejacobson]

Not dangerous ebikes, just dangerous ebike riders

[Withered_Souls]

Those stupid riders are gonna ruin it for all of us who do ride cautiously, I really don’t want to struggle with a license because of these jerks

[kevinnielsen]

I've ridden bicycles and motorcycles for over 50 years. Thousands of miles on road bicycles. I can definitely say, bicycles, electric or otherwise, are much more dangerous then motorcycles. Many new ebikers would be afraid to ride motorcycles, mistakenly believing the bicycles to be safer.

[loup]

Honestly, after getting an e-bike (which is limited to 32km/h, because Canada), riding it a few times and watching this video, i think 50km/h or more ebikes should be on the road like motorcycles and mopeds because at that point, they're pretty much electric motorcycles and should require a licence + all the equipment motorcycles need (like turning signals).