Riding Safety: What Changes on an E-Bike

A typical commuter e-bike weighs 55-65 lbs and cruises at 20-28 mph. A typical regular commuter bike weighs 22-28 lbs at 12-15 mph. Kinetic energy scales with mass × velocity². Result: an e-bike at 28 mph has roughly 8-10x the kinetic energy of a regular bike at 12 mph.

Stopping distance scales the same way. Most riders dramatically underestimate how long it takes to stop a loaded Class 3 e-bike from 28 mph. Practice emergency stops in an empty parking lot until the feel is in your muscle memory.

A driver pulling out of a side street estimates oncoming bicycle speed based on visual cues calibrated to 10-12 mph. A 28 mph Class 3 e-bike closes the gap in roughly half the time the driver expects. This is the single largest cause of serious e-bike vs car collisions.

Defensive technique: assume every driver about to pull out hasn't seen you. Cover your brakes. Slow before you commit to the intersection. Make eye contact when possible. If you can't make eye contact, your speed should be low enough to stop in the available distance.

Daytime running lights: front and rear, in flash mode, every ride. ~47% crash reduction. The single highest-leverage safety upgrade after a helmet.

MIPS or KinetiCore helmet rated for your bike's top speed. NTA-8776 for Class 3, standard CPSC for Class 1/2.

High-visibility clothing or reflective accents — even just bright ankle bands. Moving reflectors at the periphery of human vision are more visible than static reflectors on the frame.