E-Bikes Present Unique Safety Issues

This article is only about things that are peculiar to e-bikes. All of the safe riding rules and considerations of regular bikes apply to e-bikes. You should know them and apply them, including the checklist for inspecting your bike before you start a ride.

These are the major “impacts” of e-bikes: there are more bikes on the roads, there are more inexperienced riders on the roads, and there are more elderly riders on the roads. What else is known:

• e-bike riders cycle faster than they would otherwise;
• e-bike riders accelerate at a faster rate than they would otherwise;
• e-bikes are, in most cases, much heavier than regular bikes so they have more inertia, i.e., they are harder to stop (require more force, time and distance);
• the extra weight can cause difficulty mounting and dismounting;
• the chance of e-bike riders being involved in crashes with other road users, being severely injured, or dying in a crash is greater than for regular bike riders, particularly for older riders;
• e-bikes can catch on fire (the battery is the culprit).  ✎

The battery can cause a fire at any time while you’re riding or charging the battery. And don’t assume that there must be a law governing the manufacture and use of the batteries in e-bikes. Yours may not be up to the highest standards. The most important thing to investigate is whether or not the battery and its charger (don’t ever use some other charger) are UL (Underwriters Laboratory or some other qualified testing agency) tested and approved and labeled as such with the UL logo (most electrical products will have it). Be particularly careful if you’re shopping for a bike in a lower price range. E-bike batteries are way more expensive and way larger than AA batteries…hundreds of dollars and several pounds. For example, it is a significant percentage of the manufacturing cost of a $1,000 bike. The bike manufacturer may have cut corners on the battery to make it a feasible proposition. Be particularly careful in the lower price range. Be particularly careful charging the battery: a bike destroyed by fire is nothing compared to a house destroyed by an incendiary bike battery. In addition to the above:

• carefully follow manufacturer’s instructions;
• be aware of the time it takes to charge so that you don’t leave it connected to the charger for much more than it takes;
• if you detect changes to the battery such as shape, color, odd noises or odors, overheating, leaking, etc., stop using it immediately and carefully move it, if safe to do so, to a location where it would not damage anything or anyone if it exploded or caught on fire;
• in extreme circumstances, call 911;
• don’t place the battery where it would be exposed to sources of heat;
• don’t store it near flammable objects or chemicals;
• don’t charge it at a necessary egress point;
• don’t replace it with an aftermarket battery.
• This is not an exhaustive list, so use common sense.

Older riders are more susceptible to the dangers of bike riding in general and more so on e-bikes. I’m not defining older since the dangers to consider can apply to all ages. First of all, before you buy, spend some time getting used to the weight by lifting the bike, mounting and dismounting, and then when you test ride, by keeping the bike upright at stops. When you get your first e-bike, regardless of age, start off by riding it at the lowest assist level before going turbo. If it doesn’t have a computer, get one so you can check the speed. Because of its extra weight, on downhills it will accelerate faster and reach a higher speed than regular bikes. Therefore, be aware that you’ll have to start braking sooner and may have to apply more pressure on the brake levers. If accustomed to descending hills on a regular bike, you’ll have to adjust your operational expectations, including hand fatigue from the additional time and pressure applied to the levers. (A note regarding speed: the force of an impact increases exponentially as speed increases, e.g., the force of a 20-MPH crash is four times greater than at 10 MPH. That’s not to say that the damage or injury will be four times greater, but you get the point.)

A safety factor that I find quite interesting is the nature of the startup from a dead stop. With a regular bike, the gear ratio that’s set will affect the beginning of the start. A gear ratio that can produce a higher top-speed will make it harder to get started. Whereas, at lower-speed gear ratios, the bike will respond very quickly at startup. That’s pretty easy to understand. But, on e-bikes there’s an additional factor, and therein lies the danger. The motor of an e-bike will, at startup, propel it forward more quickly than a regular bike. So, especially for regular bike riders who get on an e-bike, this is another operational expectation adjustment factor. That is, something that you expected to be elsewhere may suddenly be right at your front wheel. We’ve all experienced this happening in group rides. The front of the pack starts up and when you start, something causes someone in front of you to stop suddenly and unexpectedly, and there you are forced to panic stop and then be grateful that your front wheel was not directly in line with the rear wheel in front of you and you were able to unclip and get your foot down in time. Or maybe you weren’t that lucky, and you hit the pavement. Low-speed accidents may or may not cause severe injuries. Your hip, shoulder, elbow, and wrist/hand are vulnerable. This will be a more frequent scenario on an e-bike unless you prepare for it in advance. Here’s how you can make it less frequent: when starting from a dead stop (traffic light, stop sign, etc.), if there’s a possibility that something waiting in front of you (car, truck, bike) could suddenly stop right after starting up, turn off the e-assist so it is in “neutral.” In fact, it’s probably a good idea to do it in other circumstances because you never know when a car might run a stop sign or red light, or a pedestrian mis-times the crossing. Once you’re safely rolling, you can turn on the assist. If you have a throttle assisted e-bike, keep your hand and fingers away from the throttle while you’re waiting. And be sure to go easy on the throttle at first.

Now is the age of the e-bike. It has served to expand the safety considerations for all riders.

Alan Mevis, Member at Large/Safety Committee Chair