## 4 Discussion
The difference in the lateral distance when overtaking e-bicycles depending on whether e-bicyclists wear helmets or not can be explained by the fact that motor vehicle drivers frequently believe that bicyclists wearing helmets are more serious, sensible, and predictable road users than the bicyclists not wearing helmets [37; 39]. The same results were presented in the study conducted by [PERSON] et al. [50]. However, a re-analysis of 2355 events of motor vehicles overtaking bicyclists described by [PERSON] included the data regarding the bicyclist's lateral distance from the edge of the road, vehicle size and colour, observed city, period of the day, whether the overtaking occurred on cycle lanes, and whether a bicyclist wore a protective helmet. This re-analysis showed that there was no correlation between helmet use and shorter lateral distances of passing motor vehicles [36]. The study conducted by [PERSON] et al. [50] states that the decision regarding the (non)use of helmets affects the vehicle drivers' perception of bicyclists. This perception might result in a behaviour change, and it may have an impact on increasing the lateral distance of motor vehicles when overtaking bicyclists. The results presented in our study are similar to the mentioned studies, although our results refer to e-bicycles. Namely, the results of our study show that there are statistically significant differences between the use of a helmet and the lateral distance when overtaking an e-bicycle. When an e-bicycle rider wears a helmet, vehicles overtake him at a shorter distance, unlike when he is not using a helmet. The results of this paper show that the greatest lateral distance when overtaking the e-bicycle was recorded for heavy goods vehicles (2.06), taxi vehicles (1.38 m) and passenger cars (1.32 m). Motorcyclists had the shortest overtaking lateral distance (0.80 m) when passing the e-bicycle. In comparison to other vehicle drivers, SUV vehicle drivers (0.95 m) had much shorter lateral distances when overtaking the e-bicycle. The explanation forsuch behaviour of SUV drivers can be found in the studies by [PERSON] et al. [51] and [PERSON] et al. [52], who stated that drivers of expensive cars, which include SUV vehicles, are prone to unethical driving behaviour and are less tolerant of other road users. This vehicle category has been increasingly prevalent in traffic, so the results are worrying because of the probability of road crashes occurring due to these short overtaking lateral distances. The research by [PERSON] [35] indicates that buses and heavy goods vehicles overtake bicyclists at short lateral distances, while the shortest lateral distance when overtaking the bicyclist was registered for SUVs. These results are not in accordance with the results obtained and presented in this study. There are numerous reasons for this, some of them being the 10-year difference between these two studies, differences in the research methodology and research area, as well as the potential differences arising from the research subject: bicycles and e-bicycles. In their study conducted in 2014, [PERSON] et al. concluded that it was requisite to carry out infrastructural, educational, and legal measures in order to prevent overtaking bicyclists at short lateral distances. Educational measures are of great importance as their aim is ensuring safe overtaking of bicyclists, i.e., overtaking bicyclists at greater lateral distances. The mentioned findings and suggestions should be used and applied for the education of drivers of all vehicle categories regarding lateral distance when overtaking e-bicycles.