‘Just the tip of the iceberg.' As youth e-bike use grows, serious injuries and deaths are rising
Dr. Pruva Grover says that over the last few months, she has seen a spike in tragedies involving children on e-bikes. She says it is a nationwide problem, regardless of age.
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As more and more children take to riding on electric bikes and scooters, the number of injuries and deaths associated with these vehicles is also rising.
“Largely, there is a huge disconnect in information. I think that that's where all of these issues are leading out to,” says Dr. Pruva Grover, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic.
Grover says that over the last few months, she has seen a spike in tragedies for children from e-bikes. She says it is a nationwide problem, regardless of age.
The latest data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that between 2017 and 2024, there were an estimated 155,200 emergency room visits due to e-bikes. There were also 310 deaths reported.
In that same time period, e-scooters sent an estimated 380,000 people to the emergency room.
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Grover says that she believes the numbers are “severely underreported.”
“It’s just a matter of time when we'll be able to collect this data much more appropriately to really understand the true scope, but I fear that what you're seeing right now is just the tip of the iceberg,” she says.
Grover says that riders should always wear a properly fitted and certified helmet that is suited for higher speeds. She says a regular bicycle helmet may not provide adequate protection.
Grover also urges everyone to follow local traffic laws. She says larger vehicles have blind spots and may not see an e-bike or e-scooter.
“These are 50- to 60-pound machines which can travel at a speed from anywhere from 20 to 28 mph and can cause significant injuries to the rider and to the passersby as well,” Grover says.
New Jersey recently passed new laws for e-bikes. No one under the age of 15 can ride one. Riders must have valid driver’s or motorized bicycle licenses, and all e-bikes must be registered and insured.
