Amsterdam is considered a Mecca for cyclists. That is why so many people use the cycle paths. Due to the increased number of accidents, there is now talk of lowering the maximum speed of e-bikes to 20 km/h.
The EU-wide maximum speed of conventional e-bikes is a dilemma: 25 km/h is actually too slow for driving on the streets in crowded inner cities, but depending on the traffic volume, it can be too fast for the cycle path. But: You are generally making good progress.
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As the IT specialist magazine “Heise” reports, officials from the Amsterdam traffic department are discussing reducing the maximum speed by 5 km/h to 20 kilometers per hour. The Amsterdam traffic chief Melanie van der Horst gives the reasons for this in a .
Many accidents involving e-bikes – and more and more e-bikes
Accordingly, not only has the number of accidents in connection with e-bikes increased sharply, but also the number of electric bikes. Van der Horst writes that half of all new bicycles in the Netherlands are e-bikes. This means that there are again large speed differences on the cycle paths. Again, because that was the case until 2019, when scooters were still allowed to drive off-road.
The letter cites a survey of 1,900 people, according to which 76 percent think safety on the city’s bike lanes has worsened since the advent of e-bikes. However, this is not only related to the comparatively high speed, but also to the size of some electric bicycles, especially cargo bikes. Van der Horst underlines this impression with hard numbers: According to them, the number of accidents in connection with e-bikes has increased by 50 percent within one year.
Legal framework is missing
However, there is currently no legal framework for lowering the maximum speed for bicycles. After further investigations into what the numerous electric bikes do in city traffic, the next step is to contact the state government. Since a change in the law would be necessary, one should want to slow down cyclists in general. By then, there should be smart solutions that ask drivers to brake voluntarily if they exceed a certain speed.
In Germany, too, there are increasing reports that the many cargo bikes in particular are becoming a problem for cycle paths. In connection with a certain speed, the large e-bikes pose a very high risk of accidents – many traffic police have already warned of this. If the speed limit for e-bikes is lowered in Amsterdam and catches on there, it will be interesting to see what that could mean for other cycling cities.
Source: Stern
I’m a recent graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. I started working as a news reporter for 24 Hours World about two years ago, and I’ve been writing articles ever since. My main focus is automotive news, but I’ve also written about politics, lifestyle, and entertainment.
