The chairman of the German Federal Association of Rescue Services (DBRD), Frank Flake, is advocating for mandatory helmet use for e-bike riders.
“We repeatedly see severe head injuries among e-bike users” Flake told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (NOZ). “25 kilometers per hour may not sound fast, but it can be life-threatening in a fall.
He is also calling for nationally standardized competencies for emergency medical personnel. “Currently, paramedics are permitted to do different things not only from state to state, but sometimes even from district to district – which can cost valuable time in a critical situation” he criticized. He explained that a paramedic may be authorized to administer a strong pain reliever in one district, but be required to wait for a physician in the next. “On a country road, far from the nearest clinic, that can be decisive” the association chairman stated.
Flake also criticized obstructions caused by onlookers at accident scenes, particularly in rural areas. He noted that situations on country roads are often more extreme than on highways. “Passersby even get out of their cars to take pictures with their phones” he said, adding that people have become more distant. “Accident victims are often on Facebook faster than they are at the hospital” Flake remarked.
