A study from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) shows that e‑bike accidents rarely spare older men and often result in serious injuries. Nearly all patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit after falling from an e‑bike were male, with a mean age of 77 years, and none of them had worn a helmet.
The study examined data from 103 injured e‑bike riders from 2017 to 2023. In 2023 alone, the number of treated incidents rose by a factor of 1.5 compared with the previous year. More than a third of the victims required hospitalisation. Researchers identified a combination of fatigue while riding, taking blood‑thinners, and the absence of a helmet as key risk factors.
Chief resident Dr. Michael Zyskowski warned of a “severe cascading effect”. The roughly 20‑kilogram weight of e‑bikes makes it harder to control them in a fall, while motor assistance can cause riders to underestimate their physical exhaustion. The medical team strongly urges all e‑bike users to wear a helmet, stating that most severe head injuries could have been prevented with proper head protection.
