The deaths of men over 65 using electric bikes on Dutch roads have caused the number of cycling fatalities in the country to surpass the people killed in cars.
Official figures from the Netherlands’ central bureau of statistics show a near doubling of deaths on electric bikes in the last 12 months, three-quarters of which involved men of 65 years or over.
In 2017, 206 cyclists were killed in the
Netherlands, 17 more than in 2016 and the highest number in 10 years. The same year 201 people lost their lives in cars (30 fewer than the previous year).
A quarter of the cyclists were on e-bikes, which have an integrated electric motor to propel cycles to speeds of around 20mph.
As of 2017, approximately 294,000 e-bikes had been sold in the Netherlands. Sales in the UK have been lagging although recent market research suggests 62% of those have been sold to people over the age of 55.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...dutch-cyclists
...as more of these hit the road, especially the way they are being designed and marketed in the US, there's gonna be a pretty steep learning curve. Bicycle Darwinism.