A new study shows that as more people use electric bikes and scooters, serious head and spine injuries are increasing among both riders and pedestrians in cities.
The lead researcher, Hannah Weiss, a neurosurgery doctor in training, said she was shocked by how many patients were coming in with these kinds of injuries, which now make up about 7% of trauma cases in one New York City hospital.
The study examined 914 people treated over five years at Bellevue Hospital for accidents involving bikes and scooters, both electric and conventional. This included riders as well as pedestrians who were hit. Researchers examined details like helmet use, alcohol use, types of injuries, brain scans, surgeries, and how long patients stayed in the hospital.
Published in Neurosurgery, the study found that about one-third of patients had brain injuries, more than two-thirds had to be admitted to the hospital, and around 30% needed intensive care. Also, cases related to bikes and scooters rose sharply, from under 10% of emergency visits in 2018 to over 50% in 2023.
The study also found that pedestrians hit by electric bikes or scooters had nearly twice the rate of brain injuries compared to riders. Injuries were most common between 6 and 8 p.m., possibly due to busy evening delivery traffic.
"In a busy urban setting, we are seeing more and more of these injuries firsthand. The data point to actionable solutions—helmet use, safer bike lane design, and enforcement—that could prevent many of these injuries and better protect both riders and pedestrians, who in our study often sustained even more severe brain injuries than the riders themselves," Weiss commented.
The most common cause of injury was crashes with cars or trucks, making up about half the cases. Fewer than one-third of riders wore helmets, which led to more head and face injuries. About 20% of patients had alcohol in their system, which was linked to more severe injuries and less helmet use.
"Our findings make clear that urban infrastructure must continue to improve to keep pace with the rapid rise of electric bikes and scooters," concluded study author Paul P. Huang. "Future studies should track these injuries across multiple cities and measure whether protected bike lanes, helmet programs, and speed enforcement actually reduce the number of brain and spine surgeries we perform."
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