E-bike injuries surged 293% over three years, while injuries stemming from powered scooters rose 88%, according to a new study.
Aiming to identify the "national burden" of injuries associated with these devices, researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health studied National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data from 2019 to 2022.
They found that of the nearly 49 million total injuries that resulted in emergency visits to one of 96 hospitals that NEISS samples, almost 2 million were injuries from micromobility devices, which are small, human- or electric-powered transportation vehicles like bicycles, e-bikes and e-scooters.
Most of the injuries involved bicycles, with 33.2 injuries per 1,000 total emergency department injuries. Next were powered scooters at 3.4 per 1,000, e-bikes at 1.2 per 1,000 and hoverboard injuries at 1.8 per 1,000. Most hoverboard injuries were among patients younger than 18, the report says.
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However, hoverboard-related injuries decreased over the four-year period overall, despite these injuries carrying the lowest proportion of helmet use and a higher likelihood of concussion. Researchers say the decrease may, in part, be due to the American Academy of Pediatrics warning of their dangers in 2018.
"Conversely, the considerable increase in electric micromobility injuries we are experiencing may be attributable to the lack of access, education and regulation for protective equipment as shared micromobility systems, such as NYC's Citi Bike program, are not required to provide helmets to users," said Dr. Andrew Rundle, DrPH, professor of epidemiology and a senior author of the study.
Data from the Department of Energy shows there were 1.1 million e-bikes sold in the U.S. in 2022, which is almost four times as many as in 2019, the same time frame as this study. According to Light Electric Vehicle Association, e-bike sales surpassed the rate of electric car sales in the U.S., highlighting their growing prevalence as a popular method of transportation.
Researchers in this study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, say their findings build upon existing information about rising micromobility injuries but underscore the "urgent need" to identify how to improve user safety on the devices, as more people turn to the forms of transportation as a more eco-friendly and healthy option.
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They point to identifying which micromobility devices contribute to which injuries and the risk factors that compound them as a method to inform "emergency department utilization, resource allocation and intervention strategies and policies." However, the researchers also say a lack of rules surrounding the devices, including whether users can be under the influence, makes these solutions difficult to create.
Their study found that powered scooter injuries exhibited the highest prevalence of alcohol use, with e-bike injuries second.
"Legislation is lacking on where micromobility devices can be ridden and legislation regulating the riding of these devices while under the influence of alcohol or other recreational drugs is inconsistent and historically difficult to pass," said Dr. Kathryn Burford, a postdoctoral fellow in Columbia Mailman School's epidemiology department and the study's first author.
Burford and Rundle said the first step in reducing the rates of micromobility injuries is improving infrastructure, such as creating protected bicycle lanes in particularly high-usage areas to protect those using the alternative form of transportation.
