Hit the brakes.
Researchers are ringing alarm bells about a surge in brain and spine injuries from electric bike and scooter crashes.
But it’s not just urban riders who are suffering the consequences of a fast roll, as pedestrians are getting caught in the crosshairs as well.
E-bike injuries have been on the rise in recent years, jumping to a whopping 23,500 in 2022. Scooter crashes spiked to 56,800.
Now a new study found that small electric vehicle use accounted for nearly 6.9% of all trauma patients admitted to the Bellevue Hospital Center between 2018 and 2023.
Published in Neurosurgery and led by NYU Langone Health researchers, the study analyzed more than 900 patients treated for injuries related to electric bike or scooter use at the Kips Bay hospital.
The number of people involved in a crash who visited the ER, whether they were admitted or not, rose from less than 10% in 2018 to more than 50% by 2023.
One-third of patients suffered traumatic brain injury, and around 30% needed intensive care.
What was notable to the researchers, though, was that the 69 pedestrians in the study suffered the most severe outcomes, experiencing brain injuries at almost double the rate of riders.
The most common cause of incidents was collision with a motor vehicle, accounting for nearly half of the patients.
The study also found that the majority of riders went without a helmet, which has been linked to a significantly higher chance of injury.
Injuries peaked in the evenings, specifically between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., indicating that a rise in food delivery traffic may be one reason for the increase in crashes.
Roughly 20% of patients also tested positive for alcohol, which can not only impair motor skills and the ability to ride a bike or scooter, but was also tied back to both worse brain injuries and lower helmet use amongst patients in the study.
While the researchers say these incidents are happening at a scale that’s never been seen before, a few simple measures could break the trend.
“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,” corresponding study author Hannah Weiss said in a press release.
In NYC, Mayor Mamdani eased up on police enforcement of reckless e-bike drivers last month, despite multiple injuries and fatalities for both riders and pedestrians, according to the NYPD.
E-bike crashes also surged by 21.5% from 2024 to 2025, according to data collected by the office of Councilman Frank Moreno.
A DOT spokesperson also claimed that roughly 1.2% of pedestrian injuries were from e-bike crashes in 2025.
