Professor Chris Cherry was recently quoted in Grist discussing the increase in rider injuries that have accompanied the growth in the sale of e-bikes.
According to the story, the federal Consumer Protection Safety Commission identified a fire hazard in almost half of the 59 e-bike incidents that it chose to investigate last year. It also estimated there were nearly 25,000 emergency room visits for e-bike injuries more broadly in 2022.
That has prompted calls for manufactures to have their products certified. However, Cherry cautioned that isn’t a magic elixir.
“The highest risk factors are crashes or falls on the road,” Cherry said. “A certified battery, or certified something else, isn’t going to solve those problems.”