What Parents Should Know About E-Bikes

While electronic bikes (e-bikes) may be a lot of fun, there are also a lot of dangers involved. Parents should be aware of these dangers before allowing any teenager or younger children to use an e-bike.

Oklahoma defines an electric bicycle as “a bicycle that has two or three fully functional pedals equipped with a motor that does not exceed 1000W and is designed with a maximum speed of 20mph and is incapable of furthering the speed more than 20mph with human power assist.” Riders must be 16 years old or older and must have a license of any class. All riders under 18 must wear a helmet. Generally, electric bikes are allowed on Tulsa roads in the same manner as traditional bikes.

Why are e-bikes dangerous?

The New York Times reviewed some of the reasons e-bikes are popular and some of the dangers.

E-bikes are generally classified as follows:

• Class 1 e-bikes. These bikes provide assistance while the rider pedals – up to a top speed of 20 mph.
• Class 2 e-bikes. These bikes power a rider even if the rider is not pedaling – up to 20 mph.
• Class 3 e-bikes. These bikes assist in pedaling up to 28 mph.

While the popularity of e-bikes is rising, there are risks. One notable accident involved Simon Cowell, the judge on “America’s Got Talent,” who was hospitalized after he suffered a back fracture on an electric trail bike: a “high-powered British version of an electric bicycle.”

On the positive side, according to a study conducted in Germany in July 2020 and published in The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, electric assistance didn’t change the riding habits of bicycle riders. If anything, their exercise performance improved.

The study found that cyclists rode about five times a week with e-bikes compared to the three times they normally used traditional bikes. The length of the trips stayed the same. While the heart rates of the riders were about eight percent lower with an e-bike, the exercise level was still considered moderate. With e-bike usage, riders were able to meet the 150 minutes of moderate activity standards that healthcare professionals recommend.

A second study, published in December 2020 in Injury Prevention by New York University’s School of Medicine, analyzed the physical injury side of riding an e-bike. This study examined ER visits for standard bicycles, e-bikes, and motorized scooters. The analysis during a 17-year period found:

• 9 million ER visits for riders of traditional bicycles.
• 140,000 ER visits for scooter riders.
• 3,000 ER visits for e-bike riders

E-bike riding is fairly new; thus, a lower number of ER visits was expected. What wasn’t expected was the finding that e-bike injuries were the most severe and the most likely to require hospitalization. According to an NYU injury epidemiologist, speed is a likely factor.

Some of the recommendations parents should impart to their children who want to ride e-bikes, according to the New York Times story, are:

• Learn how to ride an e-bike in empty parking lots or roads that are closed to traffic.
• Use the lowest assistance settings while learning how to ride.
• Understand that e-bikes tend to accelerate faster than traditional bikes.
• Practice slowing down and braking. E-bikes are heavier and move faster than standard bicycles which means they need more distance and time to reach a full stop.
• Be cognizant of the battery life of the e-bike. If the battery fails, the return trip will mean having to rely fully on your legs.

Other reasons that e-bikes are dangerous include the following:

According to Scripps, a not-for-profit, integrated health system in San Diego, California, e-bike riding can be dangerous for the following reasons:

• E-bike riders need to be especially careful near pedestrians because the speed of an e-bike can make it hard for pedestrians to get out of the way.
• Teenagers and young adults fail to understand that riding an e-bike on wet roads or when the weather is inclement can create dangerous riding conditions.
• Teenagers and young adults fail to understand and comply with Oklahoma traffic laws.

According to Electric Bike, other potential issues include:

• Applying too much throttle from a dead stop
• Twisting the throttle when the e-bike is parked without knowing that the bike is on
• Failing front hub motor fork
• Throttle getting stuck while in an open position

The risk of fires with e-bikes

There is also a risk of fire with e-bikes. According to Tech Radar, parents and children should:

• Read the owner’s manual and comply with any warnings from the manufacturer.
• “Only use the charger supplied by the brand that matches the battery.”
• Don’t use “power patch leads; only plug the charger directly into the wall mains supply.”
• Have a smoke detector that you can hear when charging the e-bike – whether you charge the e-bike in a garage, shed, or any other location.
• Recycle the battery if the battery or e-bike has been involved in a flooding event.
• Don’t use old lithium-ion batteries in your house. Recycle them responsibly.
• Use the cord and power adapter the manufacturer made for the e-bike.
• Attend the e-bike while it’s charging, and don’t charge the e-bike overnight.
• Store batteries at room temperature.
• Don’t leave an e-bike with a child.

At Biby Law Firm, our Tulsa bicycle accident lawyers know how to show why bicycle accidents, including e-bike accidents, happen and who is responsible.

We work with both you and our network of doctors to verify your injuries, ensure you get all the medical care you need, and inform the at-fault party all the ways in which your injuries have altered your life. Please call us or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation.