Electric Bike Accidents Are A Growing Cause Of Spine Injuries
Category: Spinal Cord Injury | Author: Stefano Sinicropi | Date: May 12, 2026
Electric bicycles can provide you with the enjoyment of cycling outdoors without all the effort required to propel yourself around the city on a standard bike, but these devices are also sending more people to the emergency department with spine injuries than ever before.
It’s not just electric bikes, either. Doctors say that electric scooters and hoverboards are also to blame for a growing number of spine injuries. A look at the injury data shows just how common – and how devastating – spine injuries from accidents on these mobility devices can be. According to research published earlier this month out of New York, about one-third of those admitted to an emergency department after an e-bike or e-scooter accident had a traumatic brain injury.
“[These micromobility devices] are producing serious brain and spinal trauma that demands neurosurgical care at a scale we haven’t seen before,” said study author Dr. Hannas Weiss, a resident in the Department of Neurosurgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “In a busy urban setting, we are seeing more and more of these injuries firsthand.”
E-Bike Accidents And Spine Injuries
Obviously New York is a busier urban environment than the Twin Cities, but at about half the population as the Big Apple, the Twin Cities still deal with heavy traffic and electronic transportation options at most points throughout the day. Anyone who has spent time in the city has likely noticed the increase in e-scooter and e-bike activity, and when you consider that these devices allow you to travel at much faster speeds than can typically be generated by our feet alone, it should come as no surprise that devastating injuries are on the rise.
The danger isn’t just isolated to adults. Research presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons found that e-bike accidents involving children increased 300% between 2019 and 2023 in San Diego. The New York study also analyzed the severity of electric mobility device accidents, and they found that trauma cases from these accidents jumped from 10% in 2018 to more than 50% in 2023, with the most common injuries coming from collisions with vehicles.
These devices are also a growing danger to the public and pedestrians. In the study, there were 69 instances where a pedestrian was struck by an e-bike or e-scooter, and 57% of pedestrians suffered traumatic brain injuries compared to 31% of riders. Of all injured riders, 20% were found to have been drinking alcohol prior to the crash, and just 31% of riders were wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
“Our findings make clear that urban infrastructure must continue to improve to keep pace with the rapid rise of electric bikes and scooters,” said Dr. Paul P. Huang, chief of Neurosurgery at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. “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.”
Nobody expects to suffer a devastating spine injury on an electric bike or an electric scooter, but the fact of the matter is that these devices significantly increase your risk of a major trauma injury. Consider using them in areas with less traffic congestion, make yourself visible, travel at safe speeds and practice defensive riding tactics so that you don’t end up needing emergency care for a back injury!
For assistance overcoming a back injury that you developed while riding or from a different type of trauma, connect with Dr. Sinicropi and the team at Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
