Electric bikes are gaining popularity in many parts of the globe.
Based on CNBC's report, Light Electric Vehicle Association estimates that e-bike sales in the US are now higher than those of all-electric and hybrid automobiles put together.
Emergence of E-bikes
Founder and current chairman of Rad Power Bikes, Mike Radenbaugh, said that the rate of people riding e-bikes has virtually quadrupled or more every year since 2015.
"And we see no slowing of that in the years forward as we look at fuel prices increasing and other challenges to transportation only getting worse," he added.
The emergence of choices available to consumers has contributed much to this development.
CNBC reports that it is not uncommon to see vehicles that are purpose-built for transporting goods and food from one place to another or have special features like additional seats or the ability to fold up.
These days, people are using them as an alternative mode of transportation to cars because of the simplicity and low cost of micro-mobility.
The Danger Comes With
Depending on the model, electric bicycles in the US may reach speeds of up to 28 miles per hour.
Due to their higher top speed, e-bikes are seen as more dangerous than conventional bicycles.
The explanation is elementary physics, according to Charles DiMaggio, an NYU professor of surgery and population health who conducted research on e-bike injuries.
He explained, "If a car is traveling 45 or 40 miles an hour and hits somebody, it's almost a certain fatality. Whereas if that same car is traveling just 10 miles an hour less, you've got less than half that probability of a fatality."
Compared to other kinds of micro-mobility, e-bikes have been shown to cause much more severe injuries.
When compared to conventional bicycles, e-bikes are three times more likely to result in hospitalization if an accident happens, as stated by DiMaggio.
However, users and supporters of electric bicycles and cyclists, in general, say that speed is not a problem; automobiles are.
Rad Power Bikes' Radenbaugh said cars represent the biggest menace to other road users. People on foot, traditional bicycles, and electric bikes all fall under this category.
Safer Solutions
As per CNBC, using an e-bike is safer in countries like the Netherlands, where the infrastructure for cycling is well-developed.
Almost everyone in the Netherlands rides a bike, a striking contrast to the rest of the world.
According to Jason Slaughter, host of the urban planning channel Not Just Bikes on YouTube, everyone from 6-year-olds to 90-year-olds may benefit from bicycle transportation.
The elimination of vehicular traffic on US streets and the installation of bike lanes and pedestrian plazas are two possible solutions to the problem of unsafe riding conditions for electric bicycles.
Investing in bicycle infrastructure can be done cheaply, said Slaughter. Nevertheless, he emphasized the need to consider this from a network perspective in North America properly.
