Accidents involving electric bikes and scooters are skyrocketing, according to new numbers.
According to a study by UCSF researchers, in 2022 more than 23,000 e-bike riders nationally were injured – a 100% increase over the year before.
People riding without helmets and zig-zagging through traffic may help explain why injuries related to the rides are spiking.
The study also looked at the behaviors of e-bike riders compared to people riding conventional bikes.
"We found riskier behavior in e-vehicle users, so less helmet use, more alcohol use," researcher Kevin Li said.
The median age for injured e-bicyclists was 39 and the median age for people hurt on e-scooters was 30, the study found.
"A lot of it is people using it to get to work, get around the city, and I think that explains the reason why we're seeing a higher median age," Li said.
Local
E-bikes, which can cost between $600 and $2,500 and reach speeds up to 28 mph, are growing in popularity, and that's part of the reason many communities are now looking at new ways to regulate them.
For instance, San Jose State University bans electric bikes and scooters on campus. The Danville City Council voted to ban e-bikes on sidewalks in the business district.
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But not everyone is convinced restricting e-bike use is the right path to take.
"While e-bike safety education is an important issue worthy of statewide investment, implementing local restrictions will create an unnecessary new bureaucracy and enforcement problem that will mostly impact Black and Brown youth in California," CalBike Policy Director Jared Sanchez said in a statement.
Many say, much like riding a bike, balance will be critical as cities and cyclists try to figure out how to ride the line between fun and risk.
