1. Cycling or e-biking safely to work
Company, event, date
Name
Cycling or e-biking safely to work

2. Non-occupational accidents in Switzerland, 2016
Every year, more than one million people are injured on the roads, during sports and activities as well as in and around their homes.

3. Bicycle accidents in Switzerland
Cyclists
E-bikers
Seriously injured
877
309
Fatalities 27 12
Accidents registered by the police in 2018

4. Risks when cycling in general
Collisions
Right-of-way situations, especially when crossing and turning
Failure to notice cyclists
Cyclists acting as if they are above the law
Distracted vehicle drivers
Self-caused accidents
Inattentiveness/distraction
Riding too fast
Alcohol consumption

5. Special risks when riding an e-bike
From a car driver’s viewpoint:
Riding speeds are easy to underestimate
From an e-biker’s viewpoint:
Higher speeds
Handling in itself

6. Cycling or e-biking safely to work:

7. Video «Bicycle and e-bike»

8. Take care in right-of-way situations: it’s worth checking to make sure!
When you stop at a stop sign or where you don’t have right of way: Take a look and check to the left, front and right.
Look over your shoulder every time you make a turn and give a clear signal.
Before you turn and go across or at junctions, make sure you are seen by drivers of other vehicles (eye contact).

9. Take care in right-of-way situations: it’s worth checking to make sure!
On roundabouts, ride in the middle of the lane.
Be aware that you cannot be seen in drivers’ blind spots.
Obey traffic regulations – it’s less dangerous and less stressful for you and others

10. Make yourself visible – even in daytime hours
Equip your bicycle with lights as required by law:
Lighting system with steady lights, white at the front and red at the rear, permanently attached or removable – visible at night in fine weather at a distance of 100m
Reflectors: white at the front and red at the rear, permanently attached
Yellow reflectors front and rear on the pedals – except on safety pedals
You’ll be even more visible with an extra red flashing rear light.

11. Make yourself visible – even in daytime hours
Wear reflective accessories (high-visibility jacket/vest, reflective arm/ankle bands, etc.). With light-reflecting items, you will be visible at a distance of 140 metres.
Ride with your lights on even in the daytime and wear high- visibility clothing.

12. Always wear a helmet when cycling!
Buy a cycle helmet with the CE-marking EN 1078.
Try on the helmet before you buy: with the chinstrap open, it must sit well and neither feel tight nor wobble.
Wearing a bike helmet is compulsory when riding e-bikes with a pedal assist system above 25 kph to a maximum of 45 kph.

13. Helmets only protect riders when worn properly!
Two finger widths above the bridge of your nose
Side straps should sit snugly, with room for one finger between the strap and your chin

14. Watch out! An e-bike goes faster than you think
Choose an e-bike category that corresponds to your cycling skills.
With an e-bike, you can ride much faster than with a conventional bicycle for the same amount of effort. This leads to an unusually long stopping distance.
Other road users underestimate the speed of e-bikes. Ride defensively.
Ride at an appropriate speed.

15. Ride defensively!

16. Video «An e-bike goes faster than people think it does»

17. Order them free of charge at www.bestellen.bfu.ch
Further information
The following BFU brochures (available only in French, German and Italian) contain more on this subject:
«Radfahren – Sicher im Sattel» (Art )
«E-Bikes – Mit Sicherheit leichter ans Ziel» (Art )
«Sichtbarkeit bei Nacht» (Art )
Order them free of charge at
You can find even more accident prevention tips at