Brain injuries are surging from e-bike and scooter crashes in NYC

Key Points:

• A study led by NYU Langone Health found that small electric vehicles accounted for 6.9% of trauma patients at Bellevue hospital in Manhattan from 2018 to 2023, with nearly a third suffering traumatic brain injuries and 30% requiring intensive care.
• Pedestrians involved in e-bike and scooter incidents experienced brain injuries at almost double the rate of riders, with collisions involving motor vehicles being the most common cause of accidents.
• Helmet use among riders was low, correlating with a significantly higher risk of injury, and about 20% of tested patients were intoxicated, which was linked to worse brain injuries and lower helmet use.
• Injuries peaked during evening hours, coinciding with food delivery traffic, and the surge in e-bike and scooter crashes has been described as unprecedented by medical professionals.
• Despite rising injuries and fatalities, including a 21.5% increase in e-bike crashes between 2024 and 2025, enforcement of reckless e-bike driving has been relaxed by city officials, prompting calls for improved helmet use, safer bike lanes, and stricter enforcement to protect riders and pedestrians.