Every 6th e-bike rider crashed
A survey by the bfu shows that around one in six e-bike riders has already had a self-inflicted accident in road traffic. The majority of these are experienced riders. All age groups are equally affected. Fortunately, three quarters of the self-inflicted accidents have a benign outcome.
E-bikes have been conquering Swiss roads for a few years now. In 2016, over 75,000 E-bikes sold, which corresponds to around a quarter of all bicycles sold in Switzerland. This is reflected in the accident statistics: between 2011 and 2016, the number of Accidents with e-bikes tripled. A bfu survey of over 4,000 e-bike riders with a focus on self-accidents shows that around one third have already had an accident. In 17 % of the respondents, it was a self-accident in road traffic, in 8% it was a collision.
The greatest risk for a Road traffic self accident As expected, riders who frequently use e-bikes are more likely to be at risk. Particularly at risk are those who also use the e-bike in winter, men, and people who use the e-bike to get to work or school. Age does not play a major role here; all age groups are equally affected.
Slipping as the most frequent cause of accidents
The bfu survey shows that slipping is the most common cause of self-inflicted accidents, for example on icy or wet ground, accounting for one third of all cases. The e-bike is rarely considered to be a (contributing) cause of the accident. More than 80 % of the respondents are of the opinion that the accident would also have happened with a normal bicycle. Three quarters of the self-accidents ended smoothly and resulted in no or only slight injuries. 18 % of the respondents, however, suffered moderately severe injuries and had to be treated in a doctor's office. 7 % injured themselves to such an extent that inpatient treatment in hospital was necessary.
Possible prevention measures
According to their own information, e-bike riders feel relatively safe on Swiss roads. Nevertheless, from the point of view of the respondents and the bfu, the road safety of e-bikes can be assessed with Increase various measures - for example, by reviewing and improving the bicycle infrastructure, through regular road maintenance, and with awareness campaigns for e-bike and car riders. Advances in e-bike technology can also further improve safety.
Text: bfu - Advisory Council for Accident Prevention
