Electric Bicycle, E Bike Crashes on the Rise in California

E-Bicycle Riders at Greater Risk for Serious Injuries

 Electric Bicycles, E Bike Crashes on the Rise, Traumatic Brain Injuries TooMore and more people are riding electric bicycles or E-bikes, but unfortunately it’s leading to a sharp rise in serious injuries at emergency rooms.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that deaths for men riding bicycles have quadrupled since the mid-1970s, but fatalities for younger men and boys have declined by 88 percent.  The number of fatalities for women riding bicycles is also down by 36 percent.

Despite the rise in deaths and injuries, however, sales of these popular electric bicycles continue to grow and have even outpaced sales for electric cars.

Furthermore, it’s not only the person riding the e-bike that gets hurt in a collision. Pedestrians are starting to ask local police departments to crack down on riders. Some report they are getting hit or having to dodge e-bikes on sidewalks, boardwalks and parks. This happens despite the fact that all bicycles are prohibited on most city sidewalks, but some younger riders will still use them.

Indeed, the popularity of electric bicycles throughout California is enormous. It’s a bridge between riding a bicycle and a motorcycle. Furthermore, the rise in gasoline prices coupled with better batteries and desire for low-impact cycling has been behind the increased ridership. People can ride farther and faster than traditional bikes on an electric bicycle.

Also, these E-bikes are particularly popular among older adults who might otherwise not have the physical strength to ride a bicycle very far. Also, while they may be out-of-reach for some younger riders due to the $1,,000 to $8,000 price tag, that’s hasn’t stopped juveniles from borrowing them from mom or dad. Other young people are buying them because it’s cheaper than a motorcycle or automobile. For those not interested in using it to commute or as their sole transportation, they have a hefty price tag compared to a basic, traditional bicycle at roughly $100 to $300.

There are more and more younger people under 18 years old riding e-bikes and they often do not have the experience necessary to handle a faster and heavier bicycle. Indeed, a 12-year-old Pacific Palisades girl died in a January 2021 crash while riding an electric bicycle when the brakes reportedly failed as she rode downhill.

Bicycle Accident Statistics

 E-Bicycle Riders at Greater Risk for Serious InjuriesThere’s no question, however, that an electric bicycle traveling 20 to 30 mph puts its rider at risk of serious injury or death compared to people riding at lower speeds on a regular bicycle. Also, pedestrians are also at risk of being struck by a fast-moving electric bicycle.

Overall, there were roughly 1,000 people riding bicycles killed in collisions annually in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additionally, more than 130,000 others on bicycles suffered injuries in these collisions, the CDC reports. It’s a serious concern and these numbers are expected to grow as sales of bicycles and accessories grow reaching nearly $7 billion in 2020.

There are no specific statistics that break out e-bicycles from regular bikes. However, the number of injuries and deaths for people riding bicycles has been on the rise — especially for men ages 20 and over, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Keep in mind that men represent 70 percent of bicyclists in the United States, but the number of female cyclists grew from 24 percent in 2010 to 30 percent in 2021.

Bicycle sales are also on the rise with sales growing in several categories including mountain bikes (70%), kids bicycles (57%), but topping the list is sales of electric bicycles up 240%. In fact, some 880,000 electric bicycles were sold in 2021, outpacing sales of 608,000 electric cars in the United States, according to the Light Electric Vehicle Association and the Dept. of Energy. Also, electric bicycle sales in 2021 were nearly double the sales in 2020 of 450,000.

California Bicycle Safety

Some popular beach cities — including Newport Beach — are getting numerous complaints about e-bike riders. Police recently gave out warnings to riders on the boardwalk in an effort to educate the public about the dangers and safety risks.  In fact, some concerns raised by residents refer to children seen not wearing helmets as well as unsafe actions by cyclists who violate California Vehicle Codes. There are also many reports of collisions and near-collisions between e-bike riders and pedestrians.

Most electric vehicles are not covered for liability under a person’s homeowner’s insurance for injuries. Also, a rider’s auto insurance company doesn’t typically offer e-bike liability insurance because e-bikes are not registered and they don’t require a person to have a driver’s license. A cyclist may purchase e-bicycle liability insurance in a separate policy from some specialty providers, but currently most people do not.

Collisions between electric bicycles and automobiles are a huge safety concern. Recently, a 15-year-old Redondo Beach boy suffered serious injuries when a driver in a pickup truck struck him and he became stuck underneath the front of the truck. The driver stopped and the boy managed to get out from underneath the vehicle on his own, but his e-bike was still stuck under the hood of the pickup truck. The driver backed up to get the bike out and sped off without stopping to help the teenager.

Emergency Room Visits on the Rise

 Emergency Room Visits on the RiseAll these faster bicycles on the roads will mean more collisions, more trips to the emergency room. One of the biggest injuries suffered by cyclists is Traumatic Brain Injury. Helmets can help lessen the severity of a head injury and prevent skull fractures. However, not all riders wear them, especially adult riders. Also, young people sometimes put on the helmet without buckling up the strap. These TBI injuries are serious, but riders who crash also have all types of fractures, strains, whiplash and road rash.

At least one study found that people who ride electric bicycles are not necessarily more prone to TBI than those riding conventional bicycles.

That’s because there are several factors that contribute to more severe injuries, according to study of emergency room injuries in the Netherlands comparing injuries from the two types of bicycles  “Velocity, alcohol intoxication and anticoagulant use were the main determinants of the risk of head injury regardless of type of bicycle used,” the report in BJM said.

Therefore, it’s not necessarily what type of bicycle a person rides, but the actual speed they are traveling at, whether they consumed alcohol and if they are on blood thinners at the time of the collision.  People who take antiplatelet medications such as clopidogrel (Plavix), ticagrelor (Brilinta), and acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) are at a greater risk for a brain bleed after a TBI that increases the risk of severe injury or death, the CDC reports.

TYPES OF INJURIES

Traumatic Brain Injury

Wearing a helmet is advisable on both an electric bicycle or a classic pedal bicycle. Certainly, a helmet will not prevent everyone from suffering a head injury, but it will lessen the severity of their injuries compared to someone not wearing a helmet. The helmet is designed to protect the skull from fractures, but it will not prevent the brain from being bruised or bleeding from a hard jolt from a collision. The cyclist may survive a crash wearing a helmet that would most certainly have killed them without it. They may still suffer a Traumatic Brain Injury while wearing a helmet.

Internal Injuries

Riders of electric bicycles are more than twice as likely to suffer internal injuries than people riding traditional bikes. This is mostly due to the higher speeds of up to 20 mph.

Road rash

Most people riding a motorcycle wear a leather jacket to protect them from road rash, but electric bicycle riders are often not protected.

Hand/Foot Injuries/Rib Fractures

It’s advisable to wear shoes, not flip flops when riding any bicycle. It’s also a good idea to wear gloves, especially on faster-moving electric bikes.

Hospitals report electric bicyclists often come to the emergency room with a combination of head injury, orthopedic injuries, fractures, spine fractures and road rash.  These are similar injuries sustained by motorcyclists.

Alcohol, DUI and Drugged Driving

 Alcohol and drugs will certainly make riding an electric bicycle far more dangerousAlcohol and drugs will certainly make riding an electric bicycle far more dangerous and injuries will likely be more severe.

One of the biggest threats to bicycle riders is other vehicles, but drunk or drugged driving compounds that risk.

Travelers

Travelers visiting California beach communities may rent an electric bicycles, but many have never ridden one before and lack experience. Preventing a serious head injury by wearing a helmet is advised as well as purchasing travel insurance in case of an accident.

JOHNSON ATTORNEYS GROUP — 1-800-235-6801


Johnson Attorneys Group is a California bicycle accident attorney that has been helping clients recover compensation for their injuries and losses for nearly two decades. We hope this news information is timely and helpful. However, if you would like to contribute any information or have legal questions, please contact us as soon as possible.

— Our law firm is also a proud, longtime supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

James Johnson

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