If an e-bike rider has an accident, the injuries are often serious: the pattern of serious head injuries suffered by e-bikers is more similar to that of motorcyclists than cyclists, as a study shows.

According to a press release issued on Tuesday, the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) analyzed data from 1068 patients treated between 2009 and 2018 for the study.

E-bikes are considered safer than motorcycles due to their lower speed, writes the USZ. However, accidents involving them often result in serious head injuries.

With an average age of just under 55 years, people who had accidents on e-bikes were significantly older than motorcyclists (40.2 years) and cyclists (42.5 years).

The over-60 age group is less likely to wear a helmet compared to the Swiss average.

In their study, the authors explicitly point out the importance of head protection: If electric bike riders do not wear a helmet, the probability of bleeding in the brain in the event of an accident is six times higher.

The study was written by specialists from the Clinics of Traumatology, Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the USZ under the direction of Thomas Rauer, Senior Physician at the Clinic of Traumatology.

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