E-bikes have improved over the years. Of the Dutch population aged over 12 years, 30 percent now own an electric bicycle. The number of accidents continues to increase. Eighty e-bike riders died last year, according to figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics. The previous year there were 74.
Amsterdam cannot impose its own measures. That’s why Amsterdam councilor Melanie van der Horst (D66) will argue in The Hague for a national agreement on the maximum speed of cycle paths, she wrote in a letter to the city council.
Low speed zone
Van der Horst also wants to take other measures against the high speeds of electric bicycle riders. He wants to use technology to force cyclists to reduce their speed. For example, by vibrating the handlebars when a cyclist enters a certain area. Or by creating an app – visible to the e-biker via a phone mount on the handlebars – that emits a red signal.
Similar technology is already being used in the UK by electric scooter rental companies such as Voi. There, the vehicle’s maximum speed is automatically reduced in certain low-speed zones.
Van der Horst also wants to conduct a trial where faster cyclists are encouraged to ride on the road. Electric bicycle riders are given a choice: a maximum of 20 kilometers per hour on the cycle path or 30 kilometers per hour on the motorway.
Performance sets
Electric bicycles can now go a maximum of 25 kilometers per hour under their own power. However, booster sets to make e-bikes go faster can easily be ordered online. From measurements carried out by the Cyclists’ Union shows that advanced e-bikes travel an average of 30 kilometers per hour, about 13 kilometers per hour faster than regular bicycles.
In recent years, Amsterdam has taken a number of drastic measures to improve road safety. This change was followed in other large cities. For example, several years ago moped riders were required to ride on roads and wear helmets. And by the end of this year, 30 kilometers per hour will become the standard speed on city highways.
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