The rate of e-bike and powered scooter injuries surged between 2019 and 2022—by 293% and 88%, respectively, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The research adds to the existing information and gap in knowledge on the sociodemographic and risk factor variables that might be contributing to micromobility vehicle-related injuries. The findings are published in the American Journal of Public Health .
Micromobility generally refers to any small, low-speed, human- or electric-powered transportation device. Between 2019 and 2022, e-bike sales increased by 269% and surpassed the sales of electric cars and trucks, according to news reports. "Our results underscore the urgent need to improve micromobility injury surveillance and to identify strategies for cities to improve user's safety so that micromobility can be a safe, sustainable, equitable, and healthy option for transportation," said Kathryn Burford, Ph.
D., Department of Epidemiology, Columbia Mailman School and first author. "Understanding how injury types and risk factors vary by mode can inform emergency department utilization, resource allocation , and intervention strategies and policies to promote safe micromobility use.
" Using 2019 to 2022 data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) to describe the national burden of injuries associated with micromobility devices, the researchers compared patterns and trends for 1,933,296 estimated injuries associate.