DETROIT – E-bikes and scooters have become incredibly popular, especially among teenagers and young adults. They offer quick transportation without the cost of a car or the need for a driver’s license.
But the American College of Surgeons warns it is seeing a surge in injuries across the country, particularly among children and teens.
Electric bikes and scooters can get you where you’re going fast, but doctors warn the rising number of them on the road is causing an escalation in injuries.
Dr. Marc Levy, a pediatric trauma surgeon, said, “We get our trauma alerts, uh, a lot of times I’m thinking, OK, is it another e-bike or e-scooter injury cause they’ve become more and more common.”
Levy says his hospital alone has seen a 250% increase in emergency room visits from e-bike and e-scooter accidents.
The American College of Surgeons says it’s a nationwide problem, with more than 20,000 people hurt while riding electric bikes every year. About 3,000 of those require hospitalization.
“E-scooters and e-bikes can attain speeds as high as 20 to 30 mph. Some e-bikes can go as fast as 50 mph,” Levy said.
He added that head injuries are the most common, but there have also been deaths.
Some of the children injured by e-bikes or scooters weren’t even riding them. They were struck by other people riding them.
Many times, the riders Levy sees in the emergency room either didn’t have a helmet or weren’t wearing the right one.
As speeds increase, a stronger helmet with a higher rating is needed for protection. Doctor Levy recommends checking helmet ratings before buying one.
One way to do that is to check Virginia Tech helmet ratings. The university, in collaboration with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, has independently evaluated nearly 300 bike helmets.