https://trustednaturalhealth.com/older- ... ke-deaths/
Dutch police are warning older cyclists of the dangers of switching to electric bikes after an increase in the number of deaths on the roads.
Figures released this week show that more people are being killed in the Netherlands while riding an electric bike than a moped, and nearly 90% were aged 60 or above.
Van Hasselt said: “It would be good if more people follow a course. Because the e-bike is not a regular bike. It gives you an extra boost, and that sometimes happens unexpectedly. As a result, you can tremble, swing and sometimes even fall.
“On the bike path you used to be [with] just like-minded people, people at the same pace. But now we see e-bikes, ordinary bikes, superfast electric bikes and bicycles. In short, it has become more dangerous. Wear a helmet, especially if you are older.”
This report seems to differentiate between the three.
Interesting, from the already referred to Dutch news link, same spokesman
The death toll is ‘very worrying,’ police spokesman Egbert-Jan van Hasselt, who heads a road safety team, told the AD. ‘People are staying active for longer and are more likely to go for an e-bike. But unfortunately, some of them lack the skills to control them.’
Van Hasselt says people should take a course in using an e-bike. ‘They are not a normal bike,’ he said. ‘They give you and extra boost and sometimes that happens when you don’t expect it.’ In addition, older users should wear a helmet, Van Hasselt said.
And from the Guardian link
Peter van der Knaap, director of the Dutch Road Safety Research Foundation, said older men were too confident in their ability not only to cycle at the speeds e-bikes make possible but also to mount or dismount the bike in the first place.
“We know that simple accidents, including fatalities, can often be attributed to bad road surface,” Van der Knaap said. “We should not underestimate how many accidents happen among the elderly when getting on and off an e-bike. Such a bicycle is heavier than a regular one. Sometimes the problem starts because some older people do not take into account that their own physical possibilities are reduced.”
No one likes to admit that they're losing abilities, but I can see truth there. And it has nothing to do with speed.
And from
http://holland-cycling.com/blog/110-hig ... ths-part-1
More accidents
In recent years Holland has seen a growing number of cycling accidents, mostly involving only one cyclist. This increase is greatest among elderly cyclists. The e-bike, which allows elderly cyclists to ride more and faster too, is thought to be to blame.
“It’s ideal! We are in our eighties, but thanks to our e-bikes, we can still enjoy 45-km rides,” an elderly couple I came across last summer proudly told me.
Apparently elderly people using e-bikes contributes to traffic safety on the cycle paths, because they can now reach an average speed of 18,7 km/h, which fits in well with the average speed of other cyclists. Less overtaking means less chance of accidents. Unfortunately, this positive aspect is counteracted by the fact that seeing elderly people peddling slowly in an upright position does not suggest speed, which is misleading for other road users - they simply don’t expect them to be going as fast as they are.
But there is more bad news. Most e-bikes are much heavier (9 kg = 50%) than conventional bikes. This makes them more difficult to handle for cyclists who are physically more vulnerable (for women more so than for men). The main problem areas seem to be: keeping balance when getting on and off the bike, keeping control in bends and avoiding objects such as posts. These issues apply to all elderly cyclists, but the number of accidents increases when riding faster on a heavier e-bike. And when accidents happen, the injuries are greater. Unfortunately, as soon as you become physically more vulnerable - and therefore need the extra peddle power most - your e-bike might well land you in hospital.