With the start of the cycling season, more people are using Pedelecs again – bikes that have recently caused a stir due to the increasing number of accidents. What are the causes for this?
They are no longer a rarity on German roads, nor in police accident reports: bicycles with electric motors that support pedaling up to a speed of 25 kilometers per hour. The number of accidents involving such Pedelecs with injuries has recently risen sharply. According to the Federal Statistical Office, it has increased more than tenfold in the past ten years. But why is that? And what special risk factors are there with the bikes?
How much Pedelecs are used
The Federal Statistical Office cites the increased popularity of Pedelecs as one reason for the increase in accidents. While in 2014 there was at least one such bike in only 3.4 percent of private households in Germany, this was the case in 15.5 percent of households in 2022.
But not only Pedelec traffic, but also cycling traffic as a whole has increased, says the head of accident research for the insurers (UDV), Kirstin Zeidler: “The cycle facilities, as the saying goes, have become more crowded.” They have been used much more in recent years, “but have not grown to the same extent”. Accidents could therefore be avoided if the cycling infrastructure were improved, especially at intersections and entrances and exits. These accident blackspots would not differ greatly between Pedelecs and classic bicycles.
The federal managing director of the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC), Caroline Lodemann, also mentions a factor that points to differences in the use of bicycles with and without electric assistance when pedaling: “Pedelecs are used over longer distances and also more frequently than normal bikes. This increases the likelihood of an accident.”
The age factor
And what role does age play in the risk of accidents with Pedelecs? One thing is certain: the proportion of younger people who have accidents while riding their bikes is increasing. According to the Federal Statistical Office, in 2023 almost one in three people who had an accident with a Pedelec was under 45 years of age; in 2014 it was one in nine.
Zeidler sees the reason for the increasing number of accidents among younger people in the greater spread of Pedelecs among them. A study by the UDV, which also takes into account the number of kilometers driven when calculating the risk of an accident, also enables a comparison to the classic bicycle. 18 to 34 year old Pedelec riders therefore have a significantly higher risk of being involved in an accident to be like your peers on wheels without electrical support. “Young adults can use the maximum power of the Pedelec to ride as quickly as possible,” explains Zeidler. “They could also overestimate their own abilities.”
According to the study, the risk of being involved in an accident with a Pedelec is also higher for people aged 80 and over than with a classic bike. According to the ADFC’s legal officer, Roland Huhn, those who ride a Pedelec are on average still older as cyclists overall. This explains why Pedelec accidents with injuries are more often fatal than those involving bikes without electrical support. The risk of serious or fatal accidents is greater for older people.
Speed, acceleration and weight
According to Zeidler, several factors always play a role in accidents: the person – such as how experienced they are and how safely they drive -, the traffic infrastructure and the vehicle. “The Pedelec potentially has higher speed and higher acceleration as well as greater weight,” she says. This also increases the likelihood of an accident or a potentially serious accident. “The risk is easily underestimated.”
With a heavy bike, for example, sudden swerving is more difficult and the risk of spinning or falling is higher than with a lighter bike, which you can get under control more quickly. “In this respect, the weight of the bike and the question of whether the rider can control it or not play a role,” explains the UDV manager.
In fact, according to them, solo accidents occur more frequently on Pedelecs than on classic bikes, in which the riders lose control and fall, “without third parties being involved.” They also know from research that Pedelec riders travel faster. However, according to Zeidler, there is no concrete data on what speeds are present at the time of an accident.
Recommendations for safer Pedelec transport
In order to be able to carry out accident analyzes better, she is in favor of a better database on Pedelecs. For greater safety when driving the bikes, Zeidler also believes that a stronger link between muscle power and motor support makes sense: “That means: When muscle power is strong, the motor support can also become stronger.” For less powerful riders, however, the motor would provide less support, meaning that speeds would only be achieved like on a classic bicycle. “That would reduce the risk of accidents and serious injuries, especially among older people,” she says.
If you are thinking about buying a Pedelec, the UDV manager advises you to seek advice from a retailer. Because there are very different Pedelecs. Zeidler’s tip is then to definitely wear a helmet and familiarize yourself with the device. One way to do this is driving safety training, which Lodemann also recommends. “But the most important thing is and remains good cycling infrastructure,” emphasizes the Federal Managing Director of the ADFC. Continuous, wide and safe cycle paths as well as consistent traffic calming are needed throughout the country.