Study: Children on cargo bikes are often inadequately protected in accidents
22/3/2024
Translation: machine translated
Cargo bikes are becoming increasingly popular with families. However, children are often not sufficiently protected on them. Researchers are therefore calling for stricter regulations.
The accident happens quickly: When trying to avoid the car, the bulky bike falls over, child and rider crash onto the tarmac: we're talking about the increasingly popular cargo bike.
Over several years, the German Insurers' Accident Research Association (UDV) has investigated the safety of children on cargo bikes and has come to an alarming conclusion: children are often poorly protected from accidents.
At a press event on 21 March 2024, the UDV presented the results of its "Transporting children on bicycles">study. According to the head of accident research, Kirstin Zeidler, cargo bikes with two front wheels, one rear wheel and the transport box in front of the rider are comparatively difficult to ride and therefore "highly susceptible to tipping over". Should an accident occur with them, these bikes offer hardly any protection for a child's upper body and head.
A crash test was also demonstrated at the press conference: The child dummy lay with its head directly on the tarmac after a mock accident.
Increasing popularity
The accident researchers also conducted an online survey. According to the survey, almost a third of all parents in Germany already use cargo bikes to transport their children - and the trend is rising. As Zeidler explained, many of the cargo bikes are very large and therefore equipped with an electric motor, which in turn makes the vehicle heavier and faster.
How to protect your children on a cargo bike
The accident researchers call for better safety measures for children on cargo bikes based on the results of their study. The following were named:
- A stable seat with head protection: many bikes only have a simple seat board instead
- sturdy harnesses
- a safety cell as impact protection
- Some manufacturers already offer tilting technology for cargo bikes, which also provides additional stability.
Not least, Zeidler advised parents to always make sure their children wear a helmet. According to the UDV study, only half of all children wore a helmet on a cargo bike. Zeidler spoke of a "deceptive feeling of safety in the cargo bike box", which probably led some parents to skip the helmet.
Bicycle trailers are safer than cargo bikes
The study also analysed the safety of bicycle trailers and child seats. One of the criticisms was that the trailers are often easy to overlook and can easily turn sideways when braking sharply. Nevertheless, they are the safer option compared to cargo bikes: if the child is well strapped in, it will not touch the ground even if it falls over.
With child seats on the carrier, the drop height can become a problem. For trailers, the researchers therefore recommend a separate brake and permanently installed lighting for trailers. For bikes with child seats, they recommend stable tripod stands or a reduction in the maximum permitted weight for children on the rear child seat from the current 22 kilograms.
However, the researchers see the greatest potential for improvement in cargo bikes, where there are hardly any specifications to date. The DIN standard currently only stipulates a "suitable seat for each child with a belt system". Zeidler called for this to change. The UDV could, for example, imagine approval tests for cargo bikes.
Header image: Wolf-Photography/Shutterstock
A true local journalist with a secret soft spot for German pop music. Mum of two boys, a dog and about 400 toy cars in all shapes and colours. I always enjoy travelling, reading and go to concerts, too.
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