Are Electric Bikes Safe? Everything You Need to Know

E-bike sales are booming in the US right now, so much so that they cannot import enough bikes to meet the demand.

It is easy to see why, when e-biking makes cycling so much easier and enjoyable to do daily. It is a much healthier and eco-friendly alternative to driving a car as well.

But many people are asking the question, are electric bikes safe to ride? They are if you take care of them. So we have put together a short guide on what you need to know to stay safe on the road. Read on to find out more about e-bike safety.

Look After Your Battery

All electric bikes use a large onboard battery that powers the motors and provides extra support when pedaling. You need to ensure that you take care of your battery, as this presents the greatest risk to you and your bike’s safety.

As with any battery, you need to ensure that it is stored at a safe temperature and away from anywhere where it could get wet or damaged easily. If you keep your bike outside, make sure that it is covered and that water can not easily get into the electrical parts. Store the electric bike charger separately, and do not overcharge your battery.

Be careful not to bash your battery when moving or storing your bike. If the battery is damaged in any way during a fall, then you must remove it from the bike and seek a replacement. Fires are extremely rare in electronic bikes, and if they do occur, it is because someone has mistreated their battery.

Obey The Traffic Rules

One common way an e-biker or standard bike cyclist gets hurt is when cycling on the roads with other vehicles. Often the injury is caused by either the driver or cyclist not obeying the road rules. You may feel faster and more secure on an e-bike, but you still need to follow the laws of the road.

As an e-biker, you will find that you can maneuver more quickly and easily through the traffic than you can on a pushbike. For this reason, you need to be hyperaware of other road users, as accidents can happen faster than you may have anticipated.

Observe other road users and maintain a safe distance at all times. Use your motor to get away from cars and traffic lights quicker so you can give yourself space and get into a good road position. This will help keep you and your electric bike safe on the road.

Accelerate Carefully

A mistake that some novice e-bikers make when first riding their bikes is to be too aggressive with the accelerator. You may be surprised when you first use the motor on your e-bike that the acceleration can be quite powerful.

Be wary when you accelerate, as when unprepared, you may find that you oversteer and potentially crash your bike. Practice away from traffic first to get used to the acceleration, and once you can control it, you will find it easy to use.

If you would like to know more about how much an electric bike costs and the types of motors you can buy, then look at chargebikes.com/collections/electric-bikes for a great choice of e-bikes.