Skip to main content

E-Bike, Scooter Injury Rates Increased in Recent Years

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Oct 1, 2024.

via HealthDay

TUESDAY, Oct. 1, 2024 -- The incidence of severe injuries from powered micromobility devices increased from 2019 to 2022, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in the American Journal of Public Health.

Kathryn G. Burford, Ph.D., from Columbia University in New York City, and colleagues described the national burden of injuries associated with e-bikes, bicycles, hoverboards, and powered scooters (micromobility devices) in the United States. Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (2019 to 2022) were used to identify roughly 1.9 million estimated injuries associated with micromobility devices.

The researchers found that the population-based rates of e-bike and powered scooter injuries increased by 293.0 percent and 88.0 percent, respectively, during the study period. Powered scooter injuries had the highest proportion for alcohol use (9.0 percent), while e-bike injuries had the highest proportion for motor vehicle involvement (35.4 percent). Internal injuries were significantly more likely among e-bike users versus hoverboard and bicycle users, but fractures and concussions were significantly more likely among hoverboard users compared with all other devices. When noted, helmet usage was higher among e-bike injuries (43.8 percent) versus powered scooter (34.8 percent) and hoverboard (30.3 percent) injuries, but usage was lower than that seen with bicycle injuries (48.7 percent).

"Our results underscore the urgent need to improve micromobility injury surveillance and to identify strategies for cities to improve users' safety so that micromobility can be a safe, sustainable, equitable, and healthy option for transportation," Burford said in a statement.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Biomarker Panel Improves Prediction of CKD Progression in Children

TUESDAY, June 24, 2025 -- A biomarker panel can improve prediction of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in children, according to a study published in the June issue of the...

Relative Peripheral Refraction Predicts Myopia Progression in Children

TUESDAY, June 24, 2025 -- Vertical and horizontal relative peripheral refraction (RPR) are associated with faster axial length progression and higher risk of incident myopia...

Hydrops MRI Accurately Differentiates Meniere Disease, Vestibular Migraine

MONDAY, June 23, 2025 -- The combination of cochlear endolymphatic hydrops (CEH) and vestibular endolymphatic hydrops (VEH) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) accurately...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.