E-bike and e-scooter injuries rising dramatically, study finds

Injuries linked to electric bicycles skyrocketed more than 3,000% over a recent six-year period, while e-scooter injuries soared more than 564%, results of a recent study show.

Using 2017-2022 data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco estimated that injuries related to e-bikes jumped to more than 23,000 in 2022 from 751 in 2017. Injuries associated with e-scooters, meanwhile, increased to almost 57,000 from nearly 8,600.

Injured electric-vehicle riders, on average, were four years older (31 vs. 27) than non-riders and were less likely to wear helmets. E-scooter riders were more likely to sustain internal injuries than those riding a conventional scooter.

“This increase in accidents not only introduced a demographic shift, but also underscores an urgent need for added safety measures,” co-lead study author Adrian Fernandez, chief resident with the UCSF Department of Urology, said in a press release.

Fernandez and his colleagues call for a multifaceted response that includes better infrastructure – specifically in urban areas – to accommodate e-scooters and e-bikes, along with educational campaigns that promote helmet use and sober riding.

The study was published online in the JAMA Network Open.