A University of Iowa study offers new perspectives on accidents involving electric bicycles. The report reviewed some 200 other studies and found no clear evidence e-bike riders crash more often than traditional cyclists, but it doesn’t mean e-bikes are safer.
Study author Amir Ghanbari concluded many e-bike crashes are single-vehicle events, but when crashes do happen, e-bike riders tend to be more seriously hurt.
Ghanbari says, “We found that the crashes that resulted in medical care tended to be more severe in e-bikes, longer hospital stays, and higher rates of head, neck, facial and traumatic brain injuries.”
There are several potential reasons for that, he says, including that e-bikes can go faster than traditional bikes, they’re heavier, and riders are often ill-prepared for their power.
“Riders are actually having a difficult time keeping their balance,” Ghanbari says. “They’re not actually colliding with a car. They are just striking a fixed object or just falling off their bike.”
Another possible factor in the higher rate of injuries is that he says e-bike users often don’t wear the safety gear that’s common among traditional bike riders.
“Helmet use rates among e-bike riders are fewer compared to conventional bicycles,” Ghanbari says. “I think some people still see e-bikes as a fun gadget or a toy rather than as a truly powered vehicle that can cause serious injuries.”
Solutions he suggests include better infrastructure like well-designed bike lanes, clearer regulations, and more rider education.
Ghanbari is a PhD student in the UI’s Department of Epidemiology.
