Causes of eBike Accidents

eBike accidents can result in serious, life-changing injuries or even death. Understanding how they happen and ways to reduce your risk as a rider is key. This knowledge also helps determine who might be responsible so you can take the first steps towards financial recovery after a collision. Here’s what to know and how the team of Massachusetts eBike accident lawyers at Mazow | McCullough, PC can help.

How eBike Accidents Can Happen

Distracted Driving

According to a study in Public Health Reports, 1 in 10 distracted driving deaths involve a pedestrian or a bicycle rider. Distracted drivers are also 1.6 times more likely to hit someone on the shoulder of the road or in a crosswalk than a non-distracted driver. As more people use eBikes or walk to their destinations, these numbers steadily increase.

Blind Spots

A blind spot is an area around a vehicle where visibility around the vehicle is reduced or blocked. All cars have blind spots, but some are larger than others. Generally speaking, the bigger the vehicle, the more substantial the blind spot.

Data from the New York Times suggests that as XL SUVs and trucks become more popular, pedestrian and cyclist deaths have increased. By their estimate, the risk of a pedestrian being hit increases by 2.8% for every extra inch of hood height on a vehicle.

Low Visibility

In addition to blind spots, low visibility conditions at night or during rain and snow can also make eBike riders harder to see. This is especially true for electric bicycles that aren’t equipped with lights or reflective strips. That said, drivers still have a responsibility to maintain awareness of their surroundings and use caution when driving in areas that are likely to have bike riders or pedestrians.

Speeding

Speeding not only causes eBike accidents but can also make collision injuries more severe. It diminishes the amount of time a driver has to react and increases the amount of time a vehicle needs to come to a complete stop. In fact, research suggests that for every 10 mph over the speed limit a car travels, the risk of fatality doubles if an accident were to occur.

Driving Under the Influence

Drunk driving and drugged driving are well-known risk factors for accidents of all types. However, data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that pedestrians and cyclists make up a measurable portion of these collisions. In 2023 alone, 11% of all fatalities caused by driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol involved non-occupants, meaning someone outside the vehicle was hit.

Manufacturer Defects

In some cases, eBike accidents are caused by a defect of the bike itself or the vehicle that hit them. A study published in Injury Prevention surveyed 298 cyclists, 11.4% of whom stated that they had been involved in an accident that they suspected involved a problem with their bike.

Road Hazards & Inadequate Infrastructure

Potholes, loose gravel, and other road hazards are another notable cause of bike accidents. A study of 313 bicycle injuries in Boston, Massachusetts, was published in The Archives of Bone and Joint Surgery and indicated that 34% of crashes involved a pothole or other road obstacle.

Rider Inexperience

Young and inexperienced riders can also cause eBike accidents. Misunderstanding the rules of the road or not knowing how to operate their bike in an emergency can easily result in a collision with a vehicle, another cyclist, or even a pedestrian.

Read More: eBike Accident Liability

Helpful Safety Tips

While some accidents are impossible to anticipate, there are some things that bike riders can do to decrease their risk of being hit or reduce the likelihood of severe injury, such as:

Using lights and wearing a reflective vest at night
Avoiding severe weather that could reduce a driver’s ability to see them
Wearing a properly fitting helmet while riding
Riding on the right side of the road in the same direction as traffic
Avoiding using the phone or listening to music with two headphones
Following the same traffic laws as motor vehicles

Read More:

How to Avoid eBike Accidents

Involved in an eBike Accident? Call Our Massachusetts eBike Accident Lawyers

If you or a family member were hurt while riding an electric bicycle, don’t wait to reach out to our experienced Massachusetts eBike accident lawyers for help. We can guide you through the process of putting together evidence and filing a claim for the compensation you deserve.

Contact us by calling (978) 862-7195 or toll-free at (855) 546-2117, or you can send us a message online, and our attorneys will get back to you right away to answer your important questions.