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Comment by rcpt | Hacker News Reader

> For e-bikes it's less clear

Sounds like you've never had one. They are absolutely game changing.

I in fact own one, it's very nice. It also did not displace my car because I live in a burb and most places of consequence are a highway journey away. I don't think I should get the tax credit because of that. My environmental footprint hasn't really been reduced.

They're lifechanging if you drive them in the same roads as most vehicle drivers (in the US).

If you're lucky, the change to your life is swift and painless. If you're not, it can be months or years until you walk again.

I rode motorcycles for 10+ years and gave it up after I read articles about people getting killed in my area every day for 2 weeks straight. I also had a young child at the time. I'm more afraid of riding a bicycle in traffic than a motorcycle. Some people are straight up aggressive against bicycle riders.

I ride motorcycles, bicycles, and more recently e-bikes. The statistics for injury/fatality are worse than cars. However there's a few things you can do to significantly decrease risk of injury and the severity of the injury. The top three things are

1. Do not combine alcohol with the activity. A disproportionate ratio of fatalities involve the operator having some alcohol in the blood stream. I'll throw things like "being hydrated" and "not tired" into this bullet.

2. Using the correct safety gear. The amount of gear I wear is well above the minimum legal requirements. Specifically the DOT helmet certification is a joke compared to every other motorcycle helmet certification on the market.

3. Rider training. You get significant insurance deductions for taking a course every 2 years. That's because staying fresh on your training actually has a huge impact on accident likelihood.

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