Do electric bikes save lives?

[Modbikemax]

Without a motor stopping at red lights and stop signs breaks your momentum slows you down and wastes precious energy.
As a result almost everyone on a non ebike will run red lights and stop signs. Me included.
With a motor is easier to stop and go and comply with the road regulations. I find myself stopping now instead of running the gauntlet.

The only problem you have is the guy in Lycra who does not realise you are going to stop running up your arse. :?

 

[amberwolf]

Yes, I have been hit from behind a couple (few?) times by regular bikes that didn't pay any attention to my (very bright) brake lights.

But they probably would have run into the back of a car, too, or ridden right thru an intersection with crosstraffic and been run over, so it's possible I saved *their* lives. :lol:


Though, years back before I added assist to my bikes, I also got hit from behind by regular bikes at stop signs/etc., so the motor doesn't make any real difference to that part. Didn't matter if it was bakc when I used hand signals or when I finally added brake and turn signal lights, either. I guess they just didnt' expect a bicycle to stop (even though it's required, and usually safer, the way people drive and walk around here).

(I've also seen bicycle collisions, where two or more cross-traffic bikes all happened to run the same stop sign at the same time, and hit each other, though this is a pretty rare event).


FWIW, it's not usually lycra-wearers, but just plainclothes riders, usually on walbikes, that probably are riding because they lost their car (or license) for whatever reason, and it's quite possible they are riding exactly like they would have driven.

 

[kriskros]

i dont know about SAVING a life, but my ebike certainly helps me live a healthier life...at 88 hills make an ordinary bike useless...with my ebike hills flatten out and i can go on much longer rides[pedaling the flats] and the excersize helps keep me in much better condition..so you could say my ebike EXTENDS my life

 

[zener]

Recently i had many cars behind me i saw coming closer whilst riding 50km/h this was on a narrow 2 lane country road.
Than i saw more cars infront of me coming. i emidiately thought some idiot will make a dump overtake and risk a head on crash. thats what i have seen many times in youtube videos.

Guess what i did?
I stoped and parked in the green gras on the side of the road and let all pass me safely.

 

[zener]

Here are the vids i am talking about.
[youtube]rUhmmmdKy_A[/youtube]
[youtube]MJUs8WSzK9g[/youtube]
[youtube]gvaaOpCBABE[/youtube]
[youtube]53k_GJZPSeQ[/youtube]
If i would be a law maker i would let them lose there driverlicense (if they have one) for at least 10 years and seizure there cars.

 

[Bikengineer]

Bikes don't kill people. People kill people.
Specifically people in cars and trucks kill people on bikes.

 

[Ykick]

Bikes don't kill people. People kill people.
Specifically people in cars and trucks kill people on bikes.

Seriously....

I've always held the opinion that before granting license to drive murderous cars/trucks/busses the motoring public should first earn a motorcycle qualification.

Why do governments grant novices a license to operate such deadly equipment right out of the gate without first qualifying them to operate much less deadly vehicles?

It would not completely solve the issue of road entitlement but I guarantee it would instill a bit more empathy towards bikes in general.

 

[gogo]

Bikes don't kill people. People kill people.
Specifically people in cars and trucks kill people on bikes.

Seriously....

I've always held the opinion that before granting license to drive murderous cars/trucks/busses the motoring public should first earn a motorcycle qualification.

Why do governments grant novices a license to operate such deadly equipment right out of the gate without first qualifying them to operate much less deadly vehicles?

It would not completely solve the issue of road entitlement but I guarantee it would instill a bit more empathy towards bikes in general.

Back in the dark ages they showed us films of post-accident scenes. With cameras everywhere now I wonder if they show driving students actual crash footage?

 

[Matt Gruber]

fatal motorcycle accidents are 25x cars, per 100,000 miles.
is a bicycle safer than a harley? 25x safer?

 

[Punx0r]

Almost certainly not. Considering normal passenger vehicles, a car is almost certainly represents your best chance of avoiding a serious injury or fatal crash.

 

[Supertux1]

I am much more inclined to 'take the lane' on my electric bikes, so drivers are forced to pass me like they would a normal car and not tempt to share the lane. Yeah they honk and swear but that's what middle fingers are for, it's not like I am holding up traffic. My bikes actually do the speed limit on these roads but everyone likes to drive 10 mph over. Quite a few times I have been cruising at 40mph and drivers see the bike and think 'bike - must pass' only to discover shortly after passing me they are doing 15-20mph over the limit and then the brake lights come on. I have had people swerve out to pass, then duck back in behind me because I'm easier to follow than to pass.

I have two sets of lights on the front and the back, (dynamo and battery) so never have had a problem with not being seen, but I always look in my mirror (as you should do driving) at stop lights. Been rear ended twice like that in cars so I am very wary of it on the bikes.

The hipsters and college kids around here like to ride with earbuds in, joggers too.
I got an AirZound which helps with them and the tards who like to ride on the wrong side or two abreast on two way paths.

[youtube]NiwybtkVOmU[/youtube]

 

[cal3thousand]

I am much more inclined to 'take the lane' on my electric bikes, so drivers are forced to pass me like they would a normal car and not tempt to share the lane. Yeah they honk and swear but that's what middle fingers are for, it's not like I am holding up traffic. My bikes actually do the speed limit on these roads but everyone likes to drive 10 mph over. Quite a few times I have been cruising at 40mph and drivers see the bike and think 'bike - must pass' only to discover shortly after passing me they are doing 15-20mph over the limit and then the brake lights come on. I have had people swerve out to pass, then duck back in behind me because I'm easier to follow than to pass.

I have two sets of lights on the front and the back, (dynamo and battery) so never have had a problem with not being seen, but I always look in my mirror (as you should do driving) at stop lights. Been rear ended twice like that in cars so I am very wary of it on the bikes.

The hipsters and college kids around here like to ride with earbuds in, joggers too.
I got an AirZound which helps with them and the tards who like to ride on the wrong side or two abreast on two way paths.

Asshat bus driver did the same to me to zoom into his next stop. I had to lay on the brakes and almost and endo to stop from hitting the back of the bus. Good thing I'm running 203mm hydros up front.

What was worse is that I politely informed him that he cut me off when at the next light. He looked at me and asked: "well you got brakes don't you? You saw my signal didn't you?"

Unfortunately for him I remembered the bus number and wrote up a full complaint in my best lawyer-tone. He got a nice little talking to by his supervisor.

 

[r3volved]

Oh man, I get the "hey a bike...*must* pass it" all the time! I find traveling with the speed of traffic to be much smoother and safer for both myself and the traffic around me. There a lot of people though that feel they must pass, no matter how far ahead of them I get at the next light...they're usually doing AT LEAST 20km over. More common after work

 

[dgk02]

Here are the vids i am talking about.
If i would be a law maker i would let them lose there driverlicense (if they have one) for at least 10 years and seizure there cars.

Part of the problem is that cars see someone on an EBike and don't realize how fast we're moving. They assume normal speed bike, start passing, and then realize - oh crap, I'm not overtaking him as fast as I thought. Not an excuse, just pointing out that we do move faster than people think. I max out at 20 mph, and it's still faster than most folks can bike. Anything above that and drivers are surprised.