4 ms·

I wonder what the insurance would look like. It seems potentially more risky than driving.

• atat7024 6y ago
  Not if everyone has ebikes.
  • foepys 6y ago
    Quite a lot of ebike accidents involve only one party. The relatively high speeds mixed with ice, wet leaves, going up and down the sidewalk, turning way too fast, etc. make ebikes quite dangerous. All those are also typical bike accidents. There are even quite a few deaths without anyone involved but the rider.
    • carlmr 6y ago
      That's why in Germany at least we have two classes of ebikes. The ones assisting up to 25kph (i.e. moderate bike speeds but you can keep them up going uphill) and the ones supporting you up to 45kph. For the latter you need liability insurance and a scooter or car driving permit. They also have a numberplate.
    • nobodyandproud 6y ago
      I have a class 1 ebike: Pedal assist and up to 20mph only. It’s an amazing piece of tech, because it makes grades and hills feel flat. Yet it never feels like a scooter or something motorized that you don’t have full control over. That is, it’s no worse than a regular bike. It has all of the other downsides of bikes, however. To make this work, government needs to build up physical and legal infrastructure for bikes: Roads and paths optimized for bicycles only. No cars. No scooters. No pedestrians. And enforced, meaningful penalties for violators. And yes, parking as well.