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In order to reduce the number of serious electric bike accidents, the Federal Council calls for helmets to be mandatory for slow electric bikes; the criticism is unexpectedly strong.
Strong protest: Anyone who does not comply with the helmet requirement should be fined 30 francs.
Photo: Gaëtan Bally (Keystone)
The outcry from the bike lobby was huge when the Federal Council announced new restrictions on electric bicyclists in August. Above all, there was a hardening of the situation: in the future, everyone who is on the move with an electric bicycle must wear a bicycle helmet. Now the obligation to carry slow electric bicycles with a maximum speed of 25 km / h is foreseen. Whoever does not comply should be fined 30 francs. “We are very sorry that the federal government wants to bundle the slowest and fastest electric bikes together,” said Matthias Aebischer, president of Pro Velo, annoyed. Almost three-quarters of the electorate adopted the Federal Velo resolution two years ago, “and now the Federal Council wants to stifle the success story of electric bicycles.”
Bad experience abroad
As the query on various changes to traffic regulations shows, the resistance is by no means limited to cyclist lobbyists. The planned tightening from left to right is also not well received by political parties. This is demonstrated by the responses to the query summarized by the SDA news agency. Green left fears, like Pro Velo, that this would make cycling less attractive. Furthermore, the SP, for example, refers to experience abroad: there it has been shown that the requirement to wear a bicycle helmet has led to a large decrease in bicycle traffic. The FDP insists on personal responsibility: whether e-bike riders wear a helmet is at the discretion of the individual. The extension of the helmet requirement is only supported by the TCS and the Accident Prevention Advisory Center (BfU). In the event of an accident, the probability of head injuries is cut in half, according to the BfU.
Simulation of an accident between an electric bicycle driver and a car on the occasion of a road safety conference in Renens.
Photo: Jean-Christophe Bott (Keystone)
The planned regulation is based on the experience that the number of electric bicycle accidents has increased significantly. According to the Federal Highway Office (Astra), the number of serious electric bicycle accidents has increased almost fivefold in recent years. Last year, 11 electric cyclists died and 355 were seriously injured. While there was a decrease in the number of severely injured people from 85 (2018) to 77 for fast e-bikes, the number of severely injured people with slow e-bikes increased from 236 (2018) to 289 last year. E-bike users were the main cause of around three-quarters of the accidents.
The rest of the fit for e-bikers faces significantly less drag. Fast electric bikes should be equipped with a speedometer in the future. As a result, speeding violations in about 30 zones can be punished with a fine. In addition, all electric bike users must also turn on the lights during the day.
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In assessing speeding violations, the Federal Council wants to give the courts more leeway and thus satisfy a concern of parliament. Since early 2013, speed drivers have been sentenced to prison terms of at least one year and up to four years and license withdrawal of at least two years. Now he wants to order the courts to examine the circumstances of each individual case. In the event of negligence or if the fast travel did not result in a risk of serious accident, the courts should be able to dispense with the crime of the razor and should also be able to impose a fine instead of the minimum prison sentence. The maximum limit of four years in prison must be maintained.
People who have committed a speeding violation for the first time must also have their ticket withdrawn for at least six months instead of at least two years as is the case now. The Federal Council also wants to waive so-called black boxes for notorious speed violators and alcohol restraints for people who have been repeatedly drunk behind the wheel. The FDP, which was the only bourgeois party to participate in the consultation (CVP and SVP have asked for an extension of the deadline, it ended last Saturday), welcomes this relaxation. The TCS is also convinced that the courts could issue better tailored and graded sentences in this way. There is resistance especially from the left: the SP is generally critical to adaptations in the area of road safety.
