A study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) shows that e‑bike crashes lead to serious injuries most often in older men. Nearly all of the patients who required intensive‑care after falling from an e‑bike were male, with an average age of 77 years, and none of them had worn a helmet.
The orthopedic surgeons reviewed data on 103 injured e‑bike riders from 2017 to 2023. In 2023 alone, the number of treated accidents had risen by one and a half times compared with the previous year, and more than a third of the patients were hospitalized. The study identified several risk factors, including rider fatigue during the ride, the use of anticoagulants, and the lack of a helmet.
Senior consultant Michael Zyskowski warned of a “catastrophic cascade”. He explained that the substantial weight of e‑bikes-about 20 kg-makes maintaining control more difficult in a fall, while motor assistance can mask the onset of fatigue. The doctors urged all e‑bike users to wear helmets, arguing that helmets would have prevented the majority of the severe head injuries observed.