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Nice article. In the past years however, the number of e-bikes used by elderly people has gone up so much, that fatality for that group has gone up quite notab
by lizmat 7y ago
Nice article. In the past years however, the number of e-bikes used by elderly people has gone up so much, that fatality for that group has gone up quite notably as well. Many elderly buy an e-bike while not having ridden a bike for many years. Meanwhile, traffic has become more difficult. And their reflexes not really what they have been.
See e.g. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/25/older-men-using-e-bikes-behind-rising-death-toll-among-dutch-cyclists https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/25/older-men-usin...
- nkootstra 7y agoI haven't seen that many (elderly) people in The Netherlands on e-bikes that used a helmet this year. The only people that wear helmets are the ones that have a speed padelec/mountainbiker or racing bikes.
- lizmat 7y agoI guess it really makes a difference if you're cycling in the Randstad, or one of the other greater cities, or outside of them. I'd say about 50% of elderly people I see on e-bikes (and I cycle about 4000km / year, almost all outside of bigger cities) are now wearing helmets.
- lizmat 7y agopedelecs are in the same class as "brommers" (mopeds) and require wearing a helmet by law. See https://www.holland-cycling.com/blog/275-new-laws-for-speed-pedelecs-in-2017 https://www.holland-cycling.com/blog/275-new-laws-for-speed-...
- CydeWeys 7y agoMeanwhile, in the US, we let elderly people continue driving long past the point where it's safe to do so, and then they kill not just themselves but also others. It's so commonplace the idea of an elderly driver fatally plowing through a farmer's market has become a trope.