E-bikes are not necessarily a new technology, but they have become truly popular over the last decade. These bikes are fit with an electronic motor. Many of them can detect when a rider starts paddling and give them an extra boost. This means that they generally look the same as a regular bicycle, although with a slightly thicker frame to accommodate their battery.
There are three different classes of these bikes. The first class requires that the person who is on the bike is peddling while using it, and it goes 20 miles an hour. As noted above, these types of bikes give a rider an extra boost. The second type and the third type both do not require peddling from the rider. The second class also goes up to 20 miles an hour, just based on the engine alone. But the third can go up to 28 miles an hour. There are a few reasons why these popular bikes are generally more dangerous than regular bicycles.
Higher speeds
One of the big things to remember is that people usually ride e-bikes at higher speeds than peddle bicycles. It may not sound like a big difference, but a pedal bike will usually be ridden at about 15 miles an hour, which is 25% slower than even the slowest e-bikes noted above. Higher speeds do mean that injuries may be more severe in the event of an accident.
Issues outside of the rider’s control
Another thing to remember is that the rider may not have control over a lot of things that can go wrong and cause an accident. For instance, what if the throttle on the bike sticks? What if the battery catches on fire? What if the controller malfunctions and so the speed can’t be adjusted? E-bikes are much more complicated than regular bicycles. As with cars and trucks, anytime you add more technology, there are more devices that can break. When these devices break on an e-bike, it could lead to a crash that the rider can’t prevent.
Seeking compensation
One thing is for certain: It appears that e-bikes are here to stay. Those who are interested in using them need to know about all of the options they have to seek financial compensation if they’re injured in an accident caused by another driver – or perhaps by a bike itself.
