Posted on 02/28/2024 7:08:56 AM PST by george76
Since 2017, hospitalizations due to e-bike injuries have risen 43-fold,
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Over 45,000 Americans were injured as a result of e-bike injuries between 2017 and 2022, indicating a 30-fold rise in the number of injuries caused by the popular mode of transportation. Nearly one in 10 of those injuries required hospitalization.
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2022, e-bikes accounted for 4 percent of the bike market in the United States, up from 0.06 percent in 2015.
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between 2017 and 2022, the number of injuries rose from 751 to 23,493—over a 108 percent annual increase.
Men were those most often injured, receiving between 69 percent and 79 percent of the injuries throughout the five years. Injuries were fairly evenly distributed among age groups, with 18- to 34-year-olds averaging between 30 percent and 46 percent of the injuries; 35- to 54-year-olds averaging between 11 percent and 40 percent of injuries; and those over 55 averaging between 17 percent and 20 percent of the injuries. In 2017, individuals between 18 and 34 comprised 63 percent of all reported e-bike injuries.
The types of injuries reported also varied, with no specific injury dominating. Fractures and dislocations were the most common injury, averaging between 20 percent and 38 percent. Head injuries accounted for between 22 percent and 36 percent of injuries, and injuries to the upper extremities ranged between 23 percent and 36 percent.
The severity of injuries also increased over the years, with more patients requiring hospitalization. Between 2017 and 2022, the data indicated a 43-fold increase in hospitalizations.
The data indicated helmet use varied from year to year. About 50 percent of e-bike riders wore helmets in 2017. Use peaked at 62 percent in 2019 and 2020 before dropping to 36 percent in 2022. The research team noted that the increase in head injuries—which was at its lowest in 2017—is likely due to a decreased use of helmets. The risk of receiving a head injury was 1.9 times higher for riders who did not wear a helmet. The team found, however, that wearing a helmet was uncommon. “Only 44 percent of injured e-bicyclists wore helmets, with proportionally fewer wearing helmets each year,” the study authors reported, adding that “although helmet use by e-bicyclists varies worldwide, Swiss studies report helmet use as high as 69 percent.”
State Regulations Attempt to Prevent Injuries..
States have worked to adopt laws regulating e-bike use throughout the United States. Much of the legislation focuses on how to classify the e-bike, determining whether it is a scooter, moped, or traditional bike. That classification typically determines who can ride e-bikes and where. For example, 36 states have three-class systems for e-bikes. These classes indicate the varying types of e-bikes available on the market, from road bikes and cruisers to those better suited for mountain biking. The reasoning behind these laws and classifications is that placing the right bike on a suitable surface helps keep people safer and helps avoid further injury.
eBike riders do not wear armor. Motorcycle rider wear armor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM8Xli2KTzI lays it all out.
Wife and I both have ebikes we take RV camping. We LOVE them.
I don’t wear a helmet, wife does. I don’t worry about the fire issue. Do you worry about the explosion issue with gasoline? Propane?
Speed? Most dumb bikes can pedal faster than my ebike. Putting on a yellow shirt doesn’t make you Lance Armstrong.
Dumb bikes crash too.
” I saw one guy on a unicycle going 50km/hr. One bump and he’s flying 50km/hr, until he lands.”
I see them on our sidewalks and Greenways. Electric bikes and skateboards too. Rude and stupid behavior. Grown men on skateboards and I can tell from their attire and man buns they’re from California. :)
31.07 mph
“Do you worry about the explosion issue with gasoline? Propane?”
I have no worries about propane and gas; I’ve seen videos of battery fires. A lot of cheap bikes are being sold on the internet without certifications.
We ride Riese-Mullers - my son-in-law did all the research and these were the ones he thought were best for us.
Ours are three years old now, still in great shape and we have a tremendous amount of fun on them - super easy to ride.
https://flyridesusa.com/collections/riese-muller-electric-bikes
Yes we know - but the with frame locked and console missing, which completely disables the bike, they are more difficult to steal - and deal with after they’re stolen.
FortNine is an excellent site
Yep, all you can do is harden the target.
Also, you can buy for cheap Air Tags, which are about 1” diameter, magnetic, and you can hide it anywhere on your bikes. If the bike is stolen, you can track it’s location quickly, call the cops and meet them where the bike has been tracked to. Cheap meaning about $20-$30 bucks for 2 tags.
I use them on my motorcycles..
My daughter and SIL have those their bikes.
I always wonder if thieves have been able to get around the frame lock— it’s a spiral lock and I struggle with it - also the console. How could they get another one?
Can the air tag tell you top speed reached? That would be a cool feature to have.
Another console? Not sure.
Not sure...Some might.
Maybe - but then they’d have to get it from Reise- Muller - after I’ve reported the bike stolen.
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