Carnage on China Roads Shows Dark Side of Electric Bikes
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Electric bicycles are China’s answer to the Prius because they’re green, they’re zippy and they’re cheap. They’re also emerging as a safety hazard in a country where road accidents are the biggest killer of young people.
As Chinese cities impose car quotas to fend off record pollution, more residents are turning to rechargeable electric cycles. That’s putting a spotlight on e-bikes that snake through traffic as fast as 40 kilometers an hour (25 mph), occasionally mowing down pedestrians or taking a hit themselves.