The popularity of e-bikes has soared over the past decade. Shared electric bikes for rent have become a common sight in major cities worldwide, while private ownership is also rising.

Since 2020, both sales and import of e-bikes have nearly tripled in Australia.

In Germany, nearly half of all bike sales are now e-bikes.

Trends suggest these bikes – equipped with battery-powered motors that assist the rider – will continue to replace many conventional car and bike trips.

But some serious questions about safety remain – and in Australia we still don’t have the data to know how many injuries and even deaths e-bikes are connected to.

The Netherlands is sometimes called a “cycling paradise” thanks to its extensive cycling infrastructure and high volume of bike riders.

For researchers, there’s another plus: the country maintains thorough records on cycling injuries and fatalities from all types of bikes.

Data collected since 2000 shows Dutch cyclist fatalities remained relatively stable for almost two decades.

However, since 2018, this........

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