“Light motor-assisted bikes that have been modified for higher speeds are becoming increasingly common on the road. Today’s crash test series will recreate various situations in order to raise awareness about electric bikes among road users,” explains Daniel Junker, Head of Vehicle Experts at Baloise.
The first crash test simulates the scenario of an e-scooter in a side-on collision with a car. The driver of the car misjudges the speed of the e-scooter, which has been tuned. The scooter rider is not wearing a helmet. After the test, Rolf Thommen, Head of Basel traffic police, provides an analysis of the scene of the accident: “In this situation, the driver was probably surprised by the faster-than-permitted speed of the e-scooter. The e-scooter rider will usually hit the car first with his head and then with his full body, likely suffering severe injuries as a result of the collision and the subsequent fall. At this sort of speed, the rider would have absolutely needed to wear a helmet for protection.”
The follow-up test uses a fall impactor to demonstrate what impact a typical helmet can actually sustain. “As part of this test, we let a standard bicycle helmet fitted with a head dummy drop onto a steel plate from a height of 1.5 metres at a speed of 19.5 km/h. The measurements taken from the dummy head must not exceed a specific level of deceleration. This test is part of the product approval testing that any bicycle helmet sold in Switzerland has to pass. It ensures that the risk of head injuries in the event of a collision can be reduced significantly,” says Sandro Caviezel from Dynamic Test Center AG.
The second crash test features as the protagonist a rider on an e-bike who crashes into an opening car door. “We know this scenario only too well from traditional bicycles. But riders of e-bikes are likely to be travelling at higher speeds, which results in a stronger impact on collision. Whether or not the rider is wearing a helmet can make the difference between life and death in an accident like this,” says Heinz Reber from DTC.
At the end of the test series, Daniel Junker from Baloise summarises: “Today’s crash tests highlight the problems arising from the greater physical forces that are at work when light motor-assisted bikes travel at excessive speeds. It would be advisable to also make helmet wearing compulsory for these vehicles. In addition, we are seeing a growing number of tuned vehicles on the road that are able to exceed the statutory maximum speed for this vehicle type. This means that manufacturers need to find ways to eliminate the potential for the technology to be modified for higher speeds.”
If you would like to observe a Baloise crash test in person, please send your contact details to media.relations@baloise.com.