Many owners not protecting their e-bikes enough from theft

Source: Nieuwsfiets

On behalf of the STAAT-E-LEKKER campaign, PanelWizard surveyed over 1,000 e-bike owners in the Netherlands, revealing that many are taking insufficient measures for tackling theft.

With increasing amount of bicycle thefts occurring, according to the survey of Dutch e-bike owners, it appears that a significant amount of users do not secure their e-bikes well enough in compliance with recommended guidelines.

The Vehicle Crime Insurance Bureau Foundation (VbV), initiator of the STAAT-E-LEKKER campaign, believes that theft can often be linked to user behaviour, with theft opportunities more likely in the event of users making short stops on their bicycle, with a lack of additional security.

PanelWizard’s survey reveals that 45% of respondents use just one lock when outdoors, and only 37% of users always lock their bike to an object (such as a bike rack or pole, for example).

Furthermore, 70% of these respondents think that their e-bike is safe generally, with 29% scoring the risk of theft as high.

The role of convenience and routine in users protecting their e-bikes sufficiently

In the survey, 30% of respondents indicate taking fewer security measures when away from their bike for a short time, as 26% believe their bike is safe at specific locations.

Meanwhile in terms of practicality: 21% have stated that they find extra security inconvenient and 25% say they can’t always identify a suitable object for locking their bike to.

The study also shows other security precautionary steps have not been taken by users:

41% of e-bikes haven’t been insured against theft, with some users not knowing whether their lock complies with minimum security requirements. Furthermore, 48% of respondents stated that by default they leave the battery on their bike, despite its high value.

Over half of respondents (56%) have directly or indirectly experienced e-bike theft. However, 46% of them haven’t adopted additional security precautions after this experience.

The STAAT-E-LEKKER campaign

The campaign, which was launched during the Week Against Bicycle Theft (April 6 to 10) and operates through to October, focuses on improving user behaviour for protecting bikes against theft. It advises owners to always use at least 2 locks (with at least one being ART-2 certified) for securing their bike to an object, even during short stops.

The STAAT-E-LEKKER campaign will involve awareness activities being held in Dutch cities that have relatively high numbers of bicycle theft, such as including Den Bosch, The Hague, Amsterdam, Zwolle, and Groningen.

Furthermore, to improve bike security, there are efforts being made to introduce supplementary measures including improved bicycle registration, using decoy bikes, and additional information being provided online and in various locations such as train stations and bicycle parking facilities.