Electric Bicycle Fatalities & Injuries Are Rising
- Thread starter AZOldTech
- Start date
The statement of "their injuries are twice as likely to be serious than ordinary bike users " just means that when he sees ebike injuries are twice as likely to be more serious that regular bike injuries. I would guess that is because of a mixture of the higher age/speed of the ebike rider that produces the more serious injuries.
I wonder how many bike injuries he sees? Let's say he sees 50 a year. .That's a very small sampling relative to how many bike injuries occur in his country alone and certainly not enough to declare ebike injuries are twice as likely to be serious. We don't know where he got his numbers from though. Maybe bike injuries are tracked for the entire country and that's the data he's using. It would be nice to know.
In a universal health care system like the Europeans have that would be easy to track and query country wide. And the Dutch sure have and use lots of bikes so he'll have lots of data for his statement.
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Acey
Member
Remember when hoverboards were new and a bunch of the cheap ones were exploding into flames? Led just about every news show and blanket statements about hover-boards being "dangerous" were widely disseminated. In truth, it was a small fraction of extremely cheap hoverboards, but a shadow was cast over all the products. Accidents with e-bikes are new. They will be sensationalized, but people will start seeing them everyday and realize they are safe and economical (aka: acceptance). I believe the study I read concluded that inexperienced riders and older riders going faster than they normally ride a regular bike were disproportionately more likely to have an injury or accident. That's logical. I have no problem with that finding. I do my best to explain the little differences in riding, like using the brake levers to kill the motor when executing tight turns. Not knowing that could easily cause an accident or injury. I think it's the responsibility of manufacturers and sellers to provide some basic instruction, but an educational program for drivers must also be undertaken so they are more aware that that bike they "think" is going 10mph might really be going 20mph+.
As to bias, it's everywhere on the internet. It truly is 100% dependent on what source you read. Everyone seemingly has an agenda. And my pet peeve: I had to stop using the word "premium" to describe my bikes because so many of my competitors use it rather loosely to describe their entry level parts - parts you'd find on a Walmart bike. And so many of the bikes on the market are just that - Walmart bikes with motors. That's not the definition of "premium" I learned.
As to bias, it's everywhere on the internet. It truly is 100% dependent on what source you read. Everyone seemingly has an agenda. And my pet peeve: I had to stop using the word "premium" to describe my bikes because so many of my competitors use it rather loosely to describe their entry level parts - parts you'd find on a Walmart bike. And so many of the bikes on the market are just that - Walmart bikes with motors. That's not the definition of "premium" I learned.
I agree ebike accidents would be easy to track and the Dutch have a lot of bikes but the article doesn't say how the data was gathered. It could be simply the accidents that particular surgeon has seen in his practice, or it could be for the entire country. We don't know. My guess is if you put a 75 yr. old on a bike and he/she hasn't ridden for decades that the chance of that person having an accident would be high regardless of whether it had pedal assist to 15mph or was an acoustic bike. To make the blanket statement that ebikes are twice as dangerous as acoustic bikes is a bit of a stretch w/o supporting, documented data
Why would people on EBR have any interest in promoting "useless negativity" about ebikes? We're all ebike owners or people planning to buy ebikes. And as soon as I read "fake news" and "lamestream media," that, to me, revealed your own extreme bias and devalued everything else you wrote.
harryS
Well-Known Member
You look at the wonderful biking infrastructure in the Netherlands and it's not surprising that they have more accidents. Their ebikes are restricted to 25 km/hour which is 15 mph. Faster ebikes are allowed, but require plates and insurance. It's probably cars running over people that cause the fatalities. Always is.
I quit riding my motorcycles in my mid 20's. Too many close calls, riding at 20-30 mph in an urban area. Mainly cars turning left in front of me. That's fast ebike speed, and the same thing is likely to happen to them. So ride defensively.
I quit riding my motorcycles in my mid 20's. Too many close calls, riding at 20-30 mph in an urban area. Mainly cars turning left in front of me. That's fast ebike speed, and the same thing is likely to happen to them. So ride defensively.
When I was working at Duke Medical Center some 20yrs ago, they had a database that a Doctor could search everything and anything on how the patient got there, what was the reason, his history, indications, treatment, what procedure was done to him/her, how well he is recovering etc.. Minute details. That way they could also go back and track outcomes. And that was just one private US hospital. So imagine in a totally connected health care system, how much outcome data you would have. So when the surgeon says "their injuries are twice as likely to be serious than ordinary bike users" I'm sure he is getting his data from a connected national database not unlike the one Duke had.
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Deeps
Active Member
Here in Germany 700,000 new e-bikes were purchased in 2017 an increase of 20% over the previous year. Unbelievably, or maybe not, a percentage of e-bike owners tune their bikes and in the city of Dortmund one biker was caught in a radar trap doing 70 k/mh whilst another 19 year old racer was photographed doing 80 k/mh. Both of course were subject to being fined.
In any case, the e-bike boom is leading to a dramatic increase in the number of serious accidents involving motorized bicycles. According to the Federal Statistical Office, there were 5,206 accidents last year, this was twice as many as in 2014. Sixty eight pedelec drivers died in 2017. Particularly at risk are older cyclists. In an accident, they are likely to be more seriously injured as younger riders said a spokesman for the Association of the two-wheel industry with many older people riding faster through the electric motor than they could/would on their own.
Sure makes you wonder.
In any case, the e-bike boom is leading to a dramatic increase in the number of serious accidents involving motorized bicycles. According to the Federal Statistical Office, there were 5,206 accidents last year, this was twice as many as in 2014. Sixty eight pedelec drivers died in 2017. Particularly at risk are older cyclists. In an accident, they are likely to be more seriously injured as younger riders said a spokesman for the Association of the two-wheel industry with many older people riding faster through the electric motor than they could/would on their own.
Sure makes you wonder.
More ebikes equals more accidents, that's obvious. When the public reads articles like the ones posted above, they form opinions; so do law makers. It's not good for the industry as a whole to make statements saying you're twice as likely to be seriously injured on an ebike going 15mph than you are on an acoustic bike going 15mph without showing the actual data.. I still don't buy the equation but I'm biased and don't want unnecessary laws restricting my ebike usage just because uncle buck fell of his new ebike on the first day of ownership after not riding a bike for the last 60 years
Here in Mesa Arizona (suburb of Phoenix) the population seems to triple when the "snow birds" (retired elderly people who normally live in the north) get here. I don't mind the increase traffic everywhere so much, but traffic violations as well as serious and sometimes fatal automobile accidents also increase. I can't tell you how many times a snowbird (you know them by their license plates) got into my lane (only fast reflexes and the empty lane on my other side, save me from a serious accident) without seeing that I was already there or even acknowledging their mistake after they were already in my lane. The point is that at a certain age certain people, not all, even thought they still have a driving licence and they think they can drive, they probably shouldn't. And not so much for themselves but for the innocent people around them. I've always said that they should come up with a different type of test that measures how quick your reflexes are as well as your attention span should be devised for senior citizens. So I can see similar problems for certain senior citizens when they decide to get a motorized ebike, both in accidents to themselves as well onto others.
Acey
Member
https://www.treehugger.com/bikes/87...led-while-e-bikes-were-over-60-years-old.html: "According to Daniel Boffey in the Guardian, of the 79 people killed on e-bikes in the Netherlands in the last three years, 87 percent were over the age of 60. Egbert-Jan van Hasselt, head of the police safety unit, tells a Dutch paper: People are staying mobile for longer and are more likely to go for an e-bike. In itself, that’s nice because it’s healthy. But unfortunately some of the elderly lack the ability. [It is] not a normal bike....It would be good if more people follow a course [took a course in how to ride]. Because the e-bike is not a regular bike..."
A study in China compared e-bike accidents in cities with license plate requirements and cities without. Spoiler - license plate requirements lower accident rates. Riders more apt to follow laws and not take chances due to ability to be held accountable.
Dutch news (July, 2018):
"Last year more people were killed in bike accidents in the Netherlands than in accidents involving cars. Of the 613 people killed on the Dutch roads, 206 were on a bike and 201 in a car. A quarter of the dead cyclists were using an e-bike. E-bike users are particularly prone to head, arm and leg injuries and their injuries are twice as likely to be serious than ordinary bike users, surgeon Jeroen Poos told the paper. Sales of e-bikes have soared by 75% over the past seven years and one-third of all new bicycles are now powered by a battery."
Injury study from Journal of Emergency Medicine:
"Results
"Forty-eight patients suffering from e-bike–related injuries presented to our trauma center between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2016. Seventeen (35%) patients were <18 years of age and 40 (85%) were male. The overall most common mechanism of injury was falling off the e-bike in 24 patients (50%), followed by collision with a static object in 9 patients (18.8%). Head (38%) and facial (33%) injuries were most common in children. In adult patients, orthopedic trauma was predominant, with extremity fractures in 35 (73%) followed by significant lacerations in 14 patients (29%). Severe trauma (Injury Severity Score >15) was found in 17 (35%) patients. The duration of hospital stay was 10.8 ± 6 days, 12 patients (25%) required a stay in the intensive care unit, and 21 patients (43.7%) required surgery. Compared to adults, children (<18 years of age) had significantly more head and face injuries (p = 0.05)."
More statistics from the Dutch study from The Guardian:
"The deaths of men over 65 using electric bikes on Dutch roads have caused the number of cycling fatalities in the country to surpass the people killed in cars.
"Official figures from the Netherlands’ central bureau of statistics show a near doubling of deaths on electric bikes in the last 12 months, three-quarters of which involved men of 65 years or over.
"In 2017, 206 cyclists were killed in the Netherlands, 17 more than in 2016 and the highest number in 10 years. The same year 201 people lost their lives in cars (30 fewer than the previous year).
"A quarter of the cyclists were on e-bikes, which have an integrated electric motor to propel cycles to speeds of around 20mph.
"As of 2017, approximately 294,000 e-bikes had been sold in the Netherlands. Sales in the UK have been lagging although recent market research suggests 62% of those have been sold to people over the age of 55."
So, in conclusion, e-bike sales are higher to people over 55. More people over 55 are in e-bike accidents. As e-bikes become more popular, they account for more accidents and injuries. Most injuries are to males, which also own the majority of e-bikes. Half the accidents reported by emergency medicine providers were from falling, not hitting something. E-bikes go faster so injuries are potentially more severe. Having a licensing system reduces accidents by holding riders accountable for their actions (can be identified and are no longer "anonymous riders") - which implies that many accidents are behavioral and avoidable with application of common sense. (My interpretation.)
Not much controversy here to argue about. I think the discussion should be about mitigating risks through education on the differences of e-bikes and regular bikes to consumers and drivers. These statistics should be used to argue for education and rider responsibility and not for regulation. It is incumbent on the e-bike community to own the statistics and control the narrative by promoting safety that reduces the statistics before the people with agendas use it to impose more rules on e-bikes. But that's my opinion.
BIAS ALERT: I think a lot has to do with the quality of the equipment as well. I have strong feelings about the cheap e-bikes with the inexpensive controllers and sensors that don't react like a normal bike. NOT saying they should be banned, but a bottom bracket torque sensor and a sinewave controller provide smoother acceleration, more speed control within each level of pedal assist and a more intuitive (like a regular bike) riding experience - regardless of motor type. I'd be very curious how many of the "falling off" accidents were due to the cheaper bikes and the sudden surge of power they provide. I know this last paragraph may sound like marketing, but it's not intended to be. However, it was one of the main reasons for my starting a company though, so I will admit bias in this last paragraph.
A study in China compared e-bike accidents in cities with license plate requirements and cities without. Spoiler - license plate requirements lower accident rates. Riders more apt to follow laws and not take chances due to ability to be held accountable.
Dutch news (July, 2018):
"Last year more people were killed in bike accidents in the Netherlands than in accidents involving cars. Of the 613 people killed on the Dutch roads, 206 were on a bike and 201 in a car. A quarter of the dead cyclists were using an e-bike. E-bike users are particularly prone to head, arm and leg injuries and their injuries are twice as likely to be serious than ordinary bike users, surgeon Jeroen Poos told the paper. Sales of e-bikes have soared by 75% over the past seven years and one-third of all new bicycles are now powered by a battery."
Injury study from Journal of Emergency Medicine:
"Results
"Forty-eight patients suffering from e-bike–related injuries presented to our trauma center between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2016. Seventeen (35%) patients were <18 years of age and 40 (85%) were male. The overall most common mechanism of injury was falling off the e-bike in 24 patients (50%), followed by collision with a static object in 9 patients (18.8%). Head (38%) and facial (33%) injuries were most common in children. In adult patients, orthopedic trauma was predominant, with extremity fractures in 35 (73%) followed by significant lacerations in 14 patients (29%). Severe trauma (Injury Severity Score >15) was found in 17 (35%) patients. The duration of hospital stay was 10.8 ± 6 days, 12 patients (25%) required a stay in the intensive care unit, and 21 patients (43.7%) required surgery. Compared to adults, children (<18 years of age) had significantly more head and face injuries (p = 0.05)."
More statistics from the Dutch study from The Guardian:
"The deaths of men over 65 using electric bikes on Dutch roads have caused the number of cycling fatalities in the country to surpass the people killed in cars.
"Official figures from the Netherlands’ central bureau of statistics show a near doubling of deaths on electric bikes in the last 12 months, three-quarters of which involved men of 65 years or over.
"In 2017, 206 cyclists were killed in the Netherlands, 17 more than in 2016 and the highest number in 10 years. The same year 201 people lost their lives in cars (30 fewer than the previous year).
"A quarter of the cyclists were on e-bikes, which have an integrated electric motor to propel cycles to speeds of around 20mph.
"As of 2017, approximately 294,000 e-bikes had been sold in the Netherlands. Sales in the UK have been lagging although recent market research suggests 62% of those have been sold to people over the age of 55."
So, in conclusion, e-bike sales are higher to people over 55. More people over 55 are in e-bike accidents. As e-bikes become more popular, they account for more accidents and injuries. Most injuries are to males, which also own the majority of e-bikes. Half the accidents reported by emergency medicine providers were from falling, not hitting something. E-bikes go faster so injuries are potentially more severe. Having a licensing system reduces accidents by holding riders accountable for their actions (can be identified and are no longer "anonymous riders") - which implies that many accidents are behavioral and avoidable with application of common sense. (My interpretation.)
Not much controversy here to argue about. I think the discussion should be about mitigating risks through education on the differences of e-bikes and regular bikes to consumers and drivers. These statistics should be used to argue for education and rider responsibility and not for regulation. It is incumbent on the e-bike community to own the statistics and control the narrative by promoting safety that reduces the statistics before the people with agendas use it to impose more rules on e-bikes. But that's my opinion.
BIAS ALERT: I think a lot has to do with the quality of the equipment as well. I have strong feelings about the cheap e-bikes with the inexpensive controllers and sensors that don't react like a normal bike. NOT saying they should be banned, but a bottom bracket torque sensor and a sinewave controller provide smoother acceleration, more speed control within each level of pedal assist and a more intuitive (like a regular bike) riding experience - regardless of motor type. I'd be very curious how many of the "falling off" accidents were due to the cheaper bikes and the sudden surge of power they provide. I know this last paragraph may sound like marketing, but it's not intended to be. However, it was one of the main reasons for my starting a company though, so I will admit bias in this last paragraph.
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Great post @Acey . That single statistic is amazing: "Of the 613 people killed on the Dutch roads, 206 were on a bike and 201 in a car". And I'm all for licensing of ebikes to hold people accountable for their actions.
Man... I thought I had a lot of bikes with just 4 (1 ebike, 3 regular bikes). Why 7 ebikes?
"E-bikes go faster so injuries are more severe"... quoted from the above article.... I don't go any faster on my ebike than I do on a regular bike and Europe has even lower assist top speeds. I don't think ebikes necessarily "go faster" than regular bikes. Sure some outlaw ones do but assuming everyone is speeding along at 30mph on their ebikes is wrong.. Also of note is that just 25% of the bike fatalities were on ebikes. That doesn't say much for the perceived safety of a regular bike over an ebike
Good for you that you don't go any faster. But I do and everyone else in our regular ebike group does as well. Especially if you have a throttle. It is so easy to increase speed on a ebike VS a regular bike.
