E-Bike Safety Statistics

In September 2021 we conducted an e-bike safety statistics survey using Google Surveys to identify how dangerous electric bikes are, what makes e-bikes dangerous and the conditions and surfaces where riders feel safe riding their e-bikes.

Question #1: How dangerous is an electric bike?

According to respondents 23.6% find e-bikes are “least dangerous”, followed by 17.2% who believe they are slightly more dangerous than average. The majority of respondents consider electric bikes to be low danger.

How dangerous is an electric bike? - E-bike safety statistics
E-Bike Danger RatingPercent of Respondents
1 (least dangerous)23.6%
28.3%
39.4%
48.7%
511.0%
617.2%
77.9%
83.7%
92.6%
10 (most dangerous)7.6%

Question #2: What makes an electric bike dangerous?

High speed was considered the primary factor that makes an e-bike dangerous, according to 31.2% of respondents. This was followed by Difficult to control at 12.3% and Vibration at 10%.

A large percentage of respondents felt that none of the items listed contributed to the danger of an electric bike. We left out getting shocked or electrocuted, which is a potential risk of e-bikes.

What makes an electric bike dangerous? - E-bike safety statistics
E-Bike Danger FactorsPercent of Respondents
High speed31.2%
Difficult to control12.3%
Vibration10.0%
Motor strength7.3%
Stability2.9%
None of the above47.3%

Question #3: Riding an electric bike is more dangerous than:

With this question we had respondents place an e-bike on a spectrum of danger with other modes of transportation.

Riding an electric bike is more dangerous than - E-bike safety statistics
Riding an e-bike is more dangerous than: Percent of Respondents
Walking36.2%
Running24.6%
Driving a car20.9%
Skateboarding10.6%
Riding a motorcycle9.0%
Riding an electric scooter7.1%
None of the above34.4%

Question #4: What weather conditions is it safe to ride an electric bike in?

Respondents overwhelmingly (71.6%) believe it’s safe to ride an e-bike in sunny weather. Just 8.2% think riding an e-bike in the rain is safe.

What weather conditions is it safe to ride an electric bike in? - E-bike safety statistics
Safe weather to ride an e-bike Percent of Respondents
Sun71.6%
Wind15.4%
Fog11.8%
Rain or Sleet8.2%
Snow and Ice7.9%
None of the above23.5%

Question #5: What surfaces can you safely ride an electric bike on?

66.3% of respondents believe it’s safe to ride an e-bike on the street or asphalt. 53.4% think it’s safe on a sidewalk or concrete. 40.8% consider riding an e-bike safe on wood such as a boardwalk. Only 8.6% of respondents think riding an e-bike on snow or ice is safe.

What surfaces can you safely ride an electric bike on? - E-bike safety statistics
Safe surfaces to ride an e-bike Percent of Respondents
Street / Asphalt66.3%
Sidewalk / Concrete53.4%
Wood / Boardwalk40.8%
Dirt / Gravel22.0%
Mud10.8%
Snow / Ice8.6%
None of the above17.5%

Survey Methodology

Our survey was conducted using Google Surveys and included male and female respondents of all ages and income distributions located in the United States.

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Nick Klamecki, Author
About Nick Klamecki, Author

Nick Klamecki is a certified Fire and Workplace Safety expert with 15 years experience in product research and testing. He has a degree from U.C. Davis, is an active outdoorsman and spent years ensuring the safety of special needs children. Nick researches and tests workplace, industrial and safety products and provides advice on their safe use. Learn more about Nick here or connect with him on LinkedIn | Medium