Powering Injuries: The Risks of E-Bikes and Scooters
Despite the safety warnings, unsafe use of e-bikes and scooters has led to a rise in injuries among users.
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If you live in a city, you have likely seen people zipping through traffic on brightly colored electronic e-bikes and scooters. These publicly available devices are convenient, cost-effective, and sustainable alternatives to cars. They can also help people dodge the delays and traffic faced by car drivers and those who use public transit.
Despite the safety warnings on the apps and docking stations for these devices, many people do not use them safely. If you’ve seen e-bikes or scooters, you’ve likely also seen riders engage in dangerous behaviors. They speed down sidewalks, pack multiple people onto one vehicle, and neglect to wear helmets. Since many public docking stations are conveniently located in downtown areas, people may use e-transportation devices to get home after a long night of drinking. People are using e-bikes and scooters unsafely, and many of them are getting injured.
Kathryn G. Burford and colleagues examined the trends in e-bike and powered scooter injuries between 2019 and 2022 using injury data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database.
The graphs show the rate of injury caused by riding e-bikes (left) and scooters (right) across age categories. Injuries increased across both vehicle types but were most common among scooter users. During the study period, the rate of scooter injuries nearly doubled and was particularly high for adult riders ages 18 to 44. The authors also found that scooter users are more prone to alcohol-related scooter injuries than e-bike users.
To allow city-dwellers to safely take advantage of public e-transportation, cities must adapt to these vehicles. The authors suggest building more protected bike lanes and widening sidewalks. Additionally, riders should be advised to ride sober and wear helmets.
