Concerns about the safety of e-bikes and e-scooters have grown as injuries involving the devices have increased nationwide. Now, some local officials will be changing usage policies to improve safety.
The rate of e-bike-related injuries has risen significantly over the last decade, including a large increase post-COVID, according to a study by the National Library of Medicine. Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System shows 45,845 e-bike-related injuries occurring between 2013 and 2022 in the U.S.
Results show patient demographics, injured body part, diagnosis, and disposition. Other findings from the study include:
- The number of injuries occurring remained steady until a 90.9% increase from 2019.
- Hospitalization was required for 10.9% of patients following e-bike-related injury, with hospitalization most frequently occurring through fracture and concussion.
- 30% of injuries associated with e-biking had motor vehicle involvement
- The most injured body part for children and teens was the head, whereas for young adults and adults it was the finger.
In a contributing article by brain surgeon Dr. Blake Taylor, he recalls treating a young five-year-old patient
for a traumatic brain injury that required emergency surgery.
"What is missing from the debates surrounding e-bike freedoms and regulation is the focus on the injuries that happen when youths crash their bikes," Taylor said. "If parents, youths, the public, and elected officials only knew. If they could see the internal injuries and what happens in my operating room, and in many trauma centers across the country, and what it takes to save these lives or prevent devastating disabilities, maybe they would rethink their priorities."
City officials respond to an increase in E-bike injuries
Under New York State law, e-bikes and e-scooters are restricted from sidewalks; however, municipalities can decide otherwise.
The City of Geneva is the most recent municipality to change the policies surrounding the use of e-bikes and scooters. Now, the region is banning motorized vehicles on sidewalks and banning people under 16 from riding e-bikes or e-scooters.
E-bikes and e-scooters are also banned from roads with posted speed limits above 30 miles per hour, and the vehicles cannot exceed 20 miles per hour. Other areas like Rochester and Ogden have passed similar laws.
Pittsford is also considering motorized vehicle legislation. Following a March 24 public hearing, the Pittsford Village Board postponed a vote to revise the proposal's language. The legislation has not yet received final approval.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: E-bike safety concerns drive local policy changes
