Electric Bikes -N- Electric Scooters

Electric Bike Safety

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

E-bike Safety

We have taken this opportunity to write this electric bike safety guide so that you can avoid many of the accidents and problems caused by not being aware of basic and fundamental safety procedures with electric bikes. Of all the pages we have at our website, this is probably one of the most important features and you should take the time to read it in its entirety, because it could save somebody's life or your own.

Electric Bike Safety

When you consider that on average an electric bike weighs approximately 45 pounds and then you add to that the velocity of that weight produced by a 300 to 500 Watt electric motor, then you should consider every safety precaution you can to avoid an accident. If you were to hit a small child or an adult going approximately 20 miles an hour you could do some considerable damage to them and yourself. Therefore, we have put this page together to remind you to take every precaution you can to ensure safety for yourself and others.

Follow The Rules

Every year, police departments across the nation receive complaints and have to issue citations because of people that are riding bicycles against the rules of traffic and sidewalk etiquette. The citations range from improper wear of safety equipment to riding their bicycles against traffic lights like "do not walk" signs. You must know the laws and rules of your local government and follow them to the best of your ability. Most of these laws and rules are made and written because of carelessness on the part of citizens that are not taking precautions or paying attention to pedestrians. So, it would be a good idea to find out and obtain information from your local government on bicycle rules because they will probably pertain almost exactly to the electric bicycle as well.

Road Rules

If you are going to ride your electric bicycle on the regular road where there are cars, you must know and follow all of the laws and rules pertaining to cars. You must observe all traffic lights, road signs and any other Road rules the cars would normally follow. An estimated 8 to 10% of fatalities and injuries are a result of not following the rules of the road, so take them as seriously as you can. Also, always ride with the flow of traffic and never assume that everybody sees you. A whopping 21% of bicycle fatalities due to car crashes are a result of the bicyclist not following the flow of traffic and turning where they should not turn and driving against the flow of cars. Remember, the electric bike can go up to 20 to 25 miles an hour, and if you add that speed to the speed of a car going in another direction you can see why there is a high fatality rate.

Always Be Aware

Even if you are riding your electric bike on a rural road or area or even in a neighborhood, always steer it as if you were driving a car. Do not dart out from behind other cars that are parked and always pay attention to vehicles that are coming and going. Many injuries and accidents occur on residential streets and rural areas where bicycle riders do not think there are people going to be driving at so much. So, be aware everywhere that you go.

Safety Equipment

Always wear a helmet as if you were going to ride a motorcycle. Spend the money, and get the helmet; it can save your life. If you can wear knee pads and other items to protect yourself, then do so. Always make sure that you are very visible and can be seen by as many people as you can. Never assume that somebody can see you, especially at night You need to wear as much reflective and bright material as you can while you are riding your electric bicycle. If you can, make sure that your E – bike has all of the lights that it needs to operate with, as well as turn signals if you can afford them. The more safety equipment you have on your electric bicycle and yourself, the better off you will be.

An Electric Bike Is Not a Toy

Any motorized vehicle, whether it is a regular motorcycle or scooter, or even an electric bicycle you must remember that it is not a toy. Most police departments do not consider a bicycle a toy in the first place, so you can imagine what they think about electric motorized bicycles. Always keep in mind how fast you're going, how much the bike weighs (as well as your own body on the electric bike) and how much damage you can do to another human that is walking on a sidewalk. It is very serious business and if you violate the rules you can either get sued or cited for a considerable amount of money! Just like a car, you should never operate an electric bicycle while you are drunk or under the influence of drugs.

To return to the home page, click here:Electric Bikes -N- Electric Scooters Home Page

 

Fact: In 2010, 710 Bicyclists between the ages of 15 to 55 were killed. In that same year 52,000 were injured!