Ride with power bike
Electric bikes are booming. Sales are increasing rapidly, with around 150,000 e-bikes sold each year. Also fast are the speeds that can be ridden with an e-bike. According to your own driving skills, the choice of the right e-bike will be well-considered.
E-bikes allow a comfortable and quick progress. However, the higher speeds also increase the risk of accidents. Below are tips for your safety on the e-bike.
Legal Aspects
Electric bicycles - legal aspects
In order to take account of the technical development of electric bicycles and to increase safety, various regulations were amended as of 1 May and 1 July 2012.
From a legal point of view, an electric bicycle or e-bike is still regarded as a «motorbicycle».
You can distinguish:
Easy-motorbikes
That one-piece electric bicycles with a maximum of 0.5 kW engine power, a so-called maximum design speed of up to 20 km/h achievable without human muscle power - that is, with pure engine power - as well as a pedal assist that works up to a maximum of 25 km/h.
Other motorcycles
That Single-track, single-track electric bikes with a maximum of 1 kW engine power, a maximum design speed of up to 30 km/h and a pedal assist, which acts up to a maximum of 45 km/h.
Rules regarding electric bicycles can be found in various decrees. From the perspective of traffic safety are particularly relevant:
The minimum age for driving electric bikes is 14 years.
Light motorcycles may be driven from the age of sixteen without a driver's license. If you are younger or driving another electric bike model, you need at least a category M driver's license
E-bike riders must observe the regulations for cyclists and must therefore use cycle lanes and marked cycle paths.
Since July 1, 2012, children may not only be carried along in a bicycle trailer as before with the light motor bike, but also with a faster electric bicycle. With an electric bicycle, a maximum of 3 children can be transported - 2 in the bicycle trailer and 1 on the child seat. Since the additional weight has a prolonging effect on the braking distance, the speed should also be adjusted or reduced accordingly.
If you drive a light motor bike (for example, so-called slow e-bikes) is not required to wear a helmet. For safety reasons, however, wearing a bicycle helmet is recommended. The leaders of a so-called fast e-bike must wear a cycling helmet (tested to EN 1078 standard).
Driving with lights on during the day for all e-bikes from April 1st, 2022
From April 1, 2022, all e-bikes in Switzerland must also ride with lights on during the day. The lights must be permanently attached to the bike, and the obligation applies to all public traffic areas.
Due to the regulations on daytime running lights, it is sufficient if the lights are only switched on at the front during the day. However, in order to be seen better, the Federal Roads Office ASTRA recommends always switching on the front and rear lights.
The equipment regulations for lighting devices remain unchanged. Already today, e-bikes must have at least one fixed white light shining to the front and one fixed red light shining to the rear. For fast e-bikes, this lighting must be type-approved. Clip-on lights are also considered "permanently attached". The equipment with special daytime running lights is permitted, but not mandatory.
Speedometer obligation for fast e-bikes as of April 1, 2024
After April 1, 2024, fast e-bikes may only be newly put into circulation with a speedometer. Fast e-bikes already in use must be retrofitted with a speedometer by April 1, 2027