As more people depend on e-bikes and powered scooters to get around, injuries are soaring E-bikes are especially problematic, researchers report They say cities need to make changes to make these more viable transportation options FRIDAY, September 27, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Folks who depend on e-bikes and powered scooters to get around know they might get hurt, but they might be surprised by just how likely that really is. Rates of injury on the trendy transportation devices skyrocketed between 2019 and 2022, Columbia University researchers report. E-bike injuries jumped 293%; those involving powered scooters were up 88%.
"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 first study author . She's a postdoctoral fellow in epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City. Micromobility covers any small, low-speed, human- or electric-powered transportation device.
And these devices are growing in popularity: Between 2019 and 2022, e-bike sales surpassed those of electric cars and trucks -- up by a whopping 269%. Drawing from a nationwide injury surveillance system, Burford's team looked at patterns for more than 1.9 million injuries associated with e-bikes, , hoverboards and powered scooters.
The sample included data from 96 U.S. hospitals.