Nowadays, e-bikes are on the march. It’s becoming banality to see these bike models running mutely in a lot of cities today. With this popularity comes concern about the dangers of e-bikes. In this article, we will look into the topic in detail about the danger of e-bikes and answer other related questions. Let’s get to it.
Are electric bikes dangerous?
It is well known that any activity involving speed, traffic, pedestrians, and various road conditions involves various risks. Therefore, in this case, electric bicycles are not any different.
At the same time, riding and being near e-bikes is similar to the dangers of traditional bikes. However, electric bikes make for some dangers and risks to e-bike riders and the wider public.
Statistics reveal that the number of e-bike accidents is rising.
They are mainly due to the average speed being higher in electric bikes, unlike regular bikes.
Like a regular bike, there are several types of injuries that occur with riding an electric bicycle. The most common of all detected injuries are soft-tissue injuries (40%) and fractures (20%).
For that matter, as with any battery-operated equipment, the risk of danger is inevitable. That said, with proper caution and secure driving techniques, the risks can be vastly diminished.
What are the risks and dangers of electric bicycles?
There are some risks and dangers to e-bikes. Let’s find out in detail some essential dangers and risks that are specific to an electric bicycle.
There are some primary dangers regarding electric bikes. They can have a scope from serious to mild, depending on the issue. Luckily, most of the risks and dangers of an electric cycle can be avoided and repaired.
Below is the list of risks and dangers applicable to electric bikes and ways how to avoid or mitigate them.
- An e-bike battery can ignite
Of course, this can cause concern, because fire claims victims and scares away most people. But this fact certainly should not scare away you from purchasing or riding electric bikes.
As known, most e-bikes have flammable lithium-based batteries. Also, it is established that the majority of e-bike batteries that ignite are makeshift and not looked after correctly.
These fires introduce the most prominent dangers associated with e-bikes.
But, the larger half of these fires could be avoided with due safety precautions.
There is also the problem of battery ignition during charging, mainly because these batteries are unable to support overcharging. This is why overcharging can result in flaring.
You should know that most modern e-bike batteries are well-designed and secure to use. Entities design batteries for electric bikes to ensure better productivity without any cause for concern over flaring. But, even with the perfect technology now, e-bikes are inclined to short-circuit, even if this is an infrequent happening.
What are the ways to stand off from these risks and dangers?
First, you should never build your lithium battery pack at home if you don’t have enough confidence and knowledge.
Second, constantly bear your batteries in a metal box during rides and use a Battery Management System for increased security.
Third, you shouldn’t overcharge or discharge the battery. Also, you cannot fully drain the battery and attempt to load it again, as this can damage the battery.
Fourth, don’t permit anything to pierce the battery, because this can produce a hazardous leak. By charging your electric bike, you should be cautious.
Last but not least, constantly make certain to purchase an e-bike battery from a trusted dealer.
- Incorrect riding e-bikes and non-compliance with traffic rules
Seasoned cyclists are aware that during riding an electric bicycle, it’s easy to get tempted to be a daredevil. But most crashes with electric bikes are caused by driver misbehavior during the ride.
As known, the electric bicycle is fully noiseless. Road users and other cyclists on traditional bicycles will not hear you nearing, which is potentially dangerous and can lead to serious injury to all road users.
Basic traffic signs such as stop signs, red lights, speed limits, and priorities are often violated by bike users with quite severe risks. Some studies have found that red-light running was nearly identical to conventional bicycling and electrical biking.
Overspeeding is one of the principal causes of accidents. Higher speed makes it hard to control your electric bicycle and cannot avoid facing riders and other vehicles.
What are the ways to mitigate these e-bike risks and dangers?
In essence, an electric bicycle should be treated as a vehicle that sits between a traditional bicycle and a motorcycle. Therefore, it is worth following road regulations to get away from possible e-bike injuries. In other words, if there is a speed sign, the cyclist must always respect the speed limit.
Avoid going crazy and doing risky maneuvers during road trips on your e-bike. Don’t drive turnings at higher speed. Observe the speed limits and rules for each region.
If you cannot stop on time while riding, then loudly inform the pedestrian about your presence or honk on the bell or other noise signaling device. You should set up it singly if it is not on the electric cycle.
Tips:
- Wear a helmet and add a mirror to your electric cycle.
- Ride within your ability and by the road conditions. For example, if it’s dark, make sure you have hi-vis gear and lights.
- Always check your electric cycle works properly. You have to do regular tune-ups, change worn tires and brakes, and keep other components in working order.
- Use designated bike lanes or bike paths, where they are available.
- Try to apply your electric cycle like a quicker regular bike, and you should get away from possible dangers.
- Ensure an electric cycle is a good fit for you. You need to be sure that you can manage the electric bike at high speed. As an e-bike is more complex to use, you will need to have quick reflexes and the ability to manage more stressful situations during riding.
- Front fork defect
This is one of the bad things that could occur on your e-bike. A defective front fork will result in the e-bike riders flying over the handlebar headlong.
This can cause fatality and other major traumas.
What are the ways to avoid this risk? Obligatory check your e-bike has properly set up torque arms. Ensure that your bike’s front-wheel drive hub motor is always set up professionally and replaced or fixed when defective by a trained specialist.
Abstain from using front-wheel drive when you use suspension forks.
Keep out any type of high-powered motors on the front wheels of your electric bike.
- The throttle can get trapped in the wide-open position
The electric bike’s throttle can wedge and get trapped in the wide-open position. This can cause a severe accident, especially if you go quickly on your e-bike.
There are two ways to get away from this risk.
First, throw in an emergency stop button on your e-bike. With this button, you will not get trapped and will move more quickly than you would like.
Second, throw in quality hydraulic disc brakes to your electric bike that can slow the bike in the rear wheel.
- Twisting the throttle accidentally while the electric cycle is on
As mentioned above, one main issue with electric bikes is that they are fully quiet. Because of that, you can twist the throttle when your electric cycle is on, and it takes off.
What are the ways to reduce this risk? Check that the pedelec is turned off when you don’t use it. Switch the throttle on your electric cycle to one that is operated by thumb or half-grip. This will make it worse to turn your bike on.
You may consider buying a pedelec that won’t increase power until the e-bike is going at least 5 mph. Also, in this case, you may consider purchasing an electric cycle with throttle safety features, for example, the pedelec bikes sensor that requires a hard pedal press to activate the throttle.
- Accelerating too much at the start
Accelerating too fast when starting has become a common reason for injuries related to electric bikes.
Applying too much throttle when the bike is not in motion can cause the bike to lose control. And while that might seem like a major accident, statistically most injuries are minor because the e-bike will go at a low speed. You can recover control of your bike after too much throttle application.
How can you avoid this risk? If you use a throttle e-bike, never apply the entire throttle until your e-bike starts riding. It’s worth making sure that your hands are away from the throttle until you are fully ready to move.
Besides that, consider adding a special switch to your throttle to allow you an option of adjusting various power levels. In this case, your electric bike simply doesn’t go until the switch is typed in.
The controller and throttle of your electric cycle should be properly set up.
To prevent jerking on the rear wheel if you press the gas pedal before you are ready, it is worth making sure that you are leaning forward toward the steering wheel. In this case, you will be able to stay at the same level.
FAQ
Below are frequently asked questions regarding the safety of using electric bikes. Without further ado, let’s get to the answers.
Are electric bikes more dangerous than pedal bikes?
There is a common opinion that e-bikes are more dangerous than pedal bikes. And of course, it is true.
Recent studies have shown they’re much more dangerous than regular bikes. For instance, the enhanced weight of an e-bike alone could cause trauma.
E-bikes can go much quicker, and this may create a risk of striking pedestrians who can’t walk out of the way in time, or with motor vehicles, whose drivers do not expect a bike to move so fast. Also, e-bike momentum and braking distance are much greater.
What are the negative effects of e-bikes?
The main negative effects are a huge amount of plumbum emitted into the environment and a higher risk of severe injuries than conventional bikes.
E-bikes use one car-sized lead acid battery per year. Each battery represents 30-40 percent of its lead content emitted to the environment in the production processes, resulting in about 3 kilograms of plumbum released per battery produced.
At the same time, this negative environmental impact is compensated by other environmental benefits, including greatly diminished energy use and carbon footprint reduction.
Also, e-bikes are considerably heavier than regular bikes. Thus, e-bikes carry a higher risk of serious injuries than conventional bikes.
How many people get hurt electric bikes?
Unfortunately, there is just not enough data to give a plain answer to the question of human quantity hurt by these bicycles. However, many studies indicate an increased risk of injury for riders of these electric vehicles.
For example, according to the USA study on e-bike safety, electric cycle accident victims have a 17% risk of internal injury. On the contrary, regular bicycle accident victims, have a 7.5% risk of the same type of injury.
Also, from 2021 through 2022, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) obtained reports of at least 208 micro-mobility fire or overheating incidents from 39 states, as a result of at least 19 fatalities, including 5 associated with e-scooters, 11 with hoverboards and 3 with e-bikes.
Final thoughts
So, are e-bikes risky? Of course, electric bikes are more dangerous compared with traditional bikes. However, being aware of the potential problems with an e-bike and following the traffic rules while riding will help get away from possible e-bike risks in the future. Therefore, the safety of an e-bike extremely depends on the proper e-bike riders’ behavior.
We hope that our article will help you to properly use your electric cycle and make your traffic safer and more comfortable.