That's fast, class 3 top out at 28 and most of the Class 2's get to 20mph. If you need to go 40 or more you're probably better off with an electric motorcycle. As for the results of the study, of course there are more accidents with ebikes, it's directly related to sales growth. And for age, most kids aren't spending 1200-5grand on an ebike, it's seniors that no longer want to pedal up hills :)
That's what it is for me. I no longer enjoy humping up hills. I get the beauty of cycling without that, I am just not interested in it anymore.