E-Bikes Pose Greater Risk Than E-Scooters

Are e-scooters really more dangerous to ride than a regular, electric-powered bicycle? Not at all, according to a new study. It indicates that e-bike riders face a higher risk of accidents.

Many headlines highlight the dangers of e-scooters. Just over a week ago, for instance, three girls riding the same e-scooter crashed into a pole in Malmö.

However, despite the e-scooter's documented bad reputation, it doesn't quite hold true when they are singled out as a more dangerous option compared to using e-bikes, which are regular bicycles powered by an electric motor. At least, this is according to a study from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg.

The study is based on data from trips in seven European cities, including Gävle. It reviewed 686 e-scooter accidents and 35 e-bike accidents. The risk of accidents was 8.3 times higher for e-bikes.

Previous Studies Have Been Misleading

"When we calculated based on travel distance, it turned out that e-bike riders were eight times more likely to be involved in an accident than e-scooter riders. This result surprised us," says Marco Dozza, a professor of traffic safety at Chalmers, in a press release, elaborating on the findings.

"Previous studies have often compared apples to oranges. They have lumped e-bikes with regular bikes and have not considered where, how, and to what extent the vehicles are used—or whether they are rented or privately owned. When we accounted for all these factors, we saw that e-scooter riders actually have a lower accident frequency than e-bike riders."

However, the researchers emphasize that the result should not be seen as definitive proof that e-scooters are safer than e-bikes. There are still uncertainties, such as underreporting of accidents.