Doctors know that fat bikes cause problems. They see this in the workplace and this was previously proven in a random sample among traffic victims in the emergency department. But the results of the so-called ‘bicycle crash measurement week’ surprised them.
In the first week of October, almost 1,300 people were treated in 82 emergency units in the Netherlands due to accidents involving two-wheeled vehicles. Around 480 of them were e-bike drivers or passengers (37 percent), 96 victims were fat bike riders (7 percent).
Surprisingly, doctor Stijn Nelen mentioned this figure on behalf of the Trauma Surgery Association. For the measurement week, the initiators, various medical associations and VeiligheidNL, have chosen a week that they consider ‘average’. “If you accept that, a rough estimate is that 5,000 obese motorcyclists are treated in emergency rooms every year. Almost half of them are between 12 and 16 years old.”
Major injury
The number of children under 16 causing damage with ‘normal’ electric bicycles is also striking: 77 young victims were reported to emergency rooms in the first week of October after accidents with ‘normal’ bicycles (including racing and mountain bikes). bicycle), compared to 86. twelve to sixteen year olds who had been in an e-bike accident (including fat bikes).
“You go faster on fat bikes and e-bikes than on bikes without pedal assistance,” Nelen explained of the numbers. “This logically leads to more serious injuries. Kids race in pairs, sometimes even threes, on fat bikes. If you have an accident, the damage is not just limited to a bleeding knee or a mild concussion.”
Trauma surgeons provide information about road safety in schools. “Most children – and their parents – are not sufficiently aware of the risks of brain damage. Something must be done, these figures show that we have a serious problem in the Netherlands. For example, I hope wearing a helmet on the road will become as common as in the snow. Just use that.”
Stricter rules for all e-bikes
In mid-December, the DPR will again discuss road safety. By the end of September it was clear that there was sufficient support for the VVD and NSC coalition party’s proposal to introduce a minimum age of fourteen for fat bikes. The DPR also supports mandatory helmet use. However, Infrastructure Minister Barry Madlener did not support the proposal and repeatedly stressed that it was legally difficult to differentiate between fat bikes and regular electric bikes.
“Therefore, stricter rules should be applied to e-bike users,” said Martijntje Bakker. As director of VeiligheidNL, a knowledge center for injury prevention, he supports a minimum age for each type of e-bike. “It’s not just fat bikes that are a problem here.” An additional benefit: this prevents manufacturers from launching new types onto the market that do not apply these strict rules, as the stricter rules only apply to fat bikes.
Also read:
Can teenagers ride fat bikes safely? Actually no, says neuroscience
Teenagers who ride fat bikes are more likely to be treated in the emergency room, which is not surprising considering their brain development. ‘Most 10 to 14 year olds don’t have enough skills to ride a fat bike.’
Politicians agree: the disruption caused by fat bikes must be addressed. But how?
The political majority wants to regulate the use of fat bikes. Helmet requirements and age limits are negotiable. However, it is not legally easy to implement these measures.
