The Future of eBikes: How Fast is Too Fast?

[PedalUma]

Any transportation vehicle (bike, scooter, skateboard, etc.) capable of assisted speed beyond 28mph should be ridden by a trained, licensed operator, registered, and insured.

There are people doing 45 or 50 on electric unicycles in traffic! Maybe because they had their driver's licence revoked.

 

[mschwett]

You might not like it, but faster electric bikes can be safer.

You might not like it, but faster electric bikes can be safer. Here's why

There’s a popular belief that slower equals safer. The concept is not entirely without merit, but it doesn’t apply universally,...

electrek.co

lol, article from high speed ebike manufacturer about why they’re safer? really?

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/magazine/e-bikes-accidents-safety-legislation-california.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/briefing/the-dangers-of-e-bikes.html

how about some actual statistics, not just intuition or speculation?

The most alarming difference was the fatality rate. “On a pedal bike, the chance of dying from an injury is about three-tenths of 1 percent,” Alfrey says. On an e-bike, the data indicated, it was 11 percent.

 

[PedalUma]

This chart can translate to crashing a bike because a human body is a human body.

A couple of blocks away a guy died when taped by a car. The driver was looking left at oncoming traffic to merge. The ped was walking down the sidewalk from the driver's right. She tapped him and he fell back on his butt and hit his head on the concrete sidewalk. Dead on the spot, cracked like a melon.

The formula T=D/S for time distance and speed shows that for most in town distances, going an unsafe speed only saves a couple of minutes at most. Going one mile at 18 mph takes 3 1/3 minutes, going 12 mph takes five-minutes. Crashing at 18 mph is like falling from a 10.8 foot ladder. Crashing at 12 mph is like falling 4.8 feet.

 

[kevinmccune]

something else concerns me ,on those "bully trucks"( front end visibility-nill,hard bars to crush pedestrian,so much racket the driver cant hear someone screaming as they are being mangled and driver inattention as he "rolls coal" to smother a Prius behind him,etc) newer vehicles are designed to be rather pedestrian friendly,the "Ranchhands and bully bars" negate all this,I wonder how long before a smart upcoming lawyer engages in a case like this and takes somebody or an aftermarket builder to the cleaners for pedestrian injuries due to front end modifications? used to be a limit on bumper heights,don't hear much about it these days. My point is-lobby for low speed vehicle and pedestrian infrastructure in these metro areas and retractable bollards for city streets were crowds gather.we are obviously not doing enough,they got on Clinton for blocking Pennsylvania Avenue( did Trump nullify this?) it was probably a good idea one other thing on a slightly different subject-who gave Trump the authority to wreck part of the White House?
sorry if this got a bit political safety is very much entwined with politics(got a reprimand , demerit from the Maverick pick up site the other day( must be a bunch of reds there) when I railed against onerous vehicle fees and taxes and general tomfoolery.

 

[Biplaneguy]

You might not like it, but faster electric bikes can be safer.

You might not like it, but faster electric bikes can be safer. Here's why

There’s a popular belief that slower equals safer. The concept is not entirely without merit, but it doesn’t apply universally,...

electrek.co

Note that the article is defending legal class 3 (28mph) ebikes, not the faster electric motorcycles masquerading as e-bikes.

 

[BEC111]

They have every right to ride public roads. No danger is being created by people riding bikes; drivers have the responsibility to refrain from passing if they can't pass safely.



The managing agency of the MUP near me has been known to message shops or groups that cause issues on the trails. Its pretty rare IME, though there are jackasses in every group. Even nice straight MUPs kinda suck for serious road riding. Too narrow for pacelining and generally they cross lots of roads without right of way so you have to stop frequenty (or run stop signs frequently which is risky). Groups here in Leesburg will literally ride the parallel road to avoid the trail.

Yup. That’s my experience as well.

I like to say the groups of roadies on the WOD have “Tour de France” envy. (My tolerance for the roadies increases in the week or so prior to the Armed Forces Classic race when the various teams practice on weekdays.)

My average speed on the trail is about 14 mph, but I’ll admit to hitting 30+ in a few spots and I have cruised at around 20-24 for stretches when there’s no other folks. And I get passed by roadies event then. Of course, I can’t sustain the highest speeds on my Vado SL. It’s underpowered for that.

 

[stompandgo]

Armed Forces is a great race with a solid history. I hope to work it someday.

If I'm going 24mph on an open stretch and get passed cleanly by anyone on anything, I'm fine with it. As long as myself or anyone nearby is not put into danger.

 

[PedalUma]

bully trucks

I think it would be fun to lock bikes to one like a bike rack. It is meant to intimidate, kill, and maim. Just chain five bikes to one and cover the grill and hood with a gallon of enchilada sauce.

 

[Jim1348]

What Happens When You Crash A Bicycle At 175 MPH?​

 

[Roamers]

It is meant to intimidate, kill, and maim.

Or reduce damage from wildlife encounters.

 

[Chargeride]

Do any US states have strict codes for pedestrian safety, the Cybertruck is totally banned in Europe, is it banned anywhere in America?

 

[DaveMatthews]

Do any US states have strict codes for pedestrian safety, the Cybertruck is totally banned in Europe, is it banned anywhere in America?

No, not banned in US or Canada.

 

[mschwett]

Do any US states have strict codes for pedestrian safety, the Cybertruck is totally banned in Europe, is it banned anywhere in America?

vehicle standards are generally regulated federally, with some exceptions. there is a proposal out there for more stringent pedestrian safety standards but my guess is it's not going anywhere. haven't heard anything.

NHTSA proposes a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) that would ensure passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4,536 kilograms (kg) (10,000 pounds (lb)) or less are designed to mitigate the risk of serious to fatal injury in child and adult pedestrian crashes. The proposed standard would establish test procedures simulating a head-to-hood impact and performance requirements to minimize the risk of head injury. This NPRM is based on a Global Technical Regulation (GTR) on pedestrian protection, with focused enhancements to address safety problems and a regulatory framework unique to the United States.

Federal Register :: Request Access

www.federalregister.gov

 

[stompandgo]

Standards are useless if the driver doesn't GAF.

 

[Chargeride]

Endless driver distraction, ludicrous levels of signage, super quiet cars, all kinds of driving aids, advanced suspension
People are starting to drive like theyve taken their frontroom out to the shops and the windscreen is the tv.
Its got to the point in the UK where I would welcome auto speed restriction so Im not constantly scanning for endless limit changes, popup speed cameras, gantrys with cameras and no limit posted, hovering over the brake..has this dropped to 20?, did I miss the sign.
Notifications on the phone overlaying google maps, I cant help but read them.

One drive to Wales in the van and I pass over thirty speed cameras, if not more.
You get caught by four in three years and its a 6 month ban.
So your choice is crawling everywhere with a mile long queue behind you , or dart between street furniture and your speedo, occasionally actually looking at traffic.
Its no joke, all my friends hate driving, its so stressful, weve all got camera detectors, points on our licences for missing one camera out of 50 on a long drive, just a few mph over the limit.

Just make the freakin car do the speed, I dont need to be using 80% of my concentration on tiny speedo marks and boxes on poles.

 

[Roamers]

there is a proposal out there for more stringent pedestrian safety standards but my guess is it's not going anywhere. haven't heard anything.

"The proposed standard would establish test procedures simulating a head-to-hood impact and performance requirements to minimize the risk of head injury."

Sounds like required pedestrian head protection to me. Easy solution.