America
tion while providing mobility to teens and delivery workers. But increasing- ly, the mix of automobiles and e-bikes on the roads has led to extended hos- pital stays — or worse. Dr. Brian Waterman, an ortho-
UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED?
E-Bike Accidents Skyrocket
Civic leaders struggle to curb alarming increase in injuries, particularly head traumas.
W BY DAVID A. PATTEN
hen the journal JAMA Surgery exposed a fast-emerging public health hazard, it natu-
rally drew a lot of attention in the medi- cal community. But unlike most of its articles, this
one didn’t focus on stem cells, robot- ic surgery, or the next great global pathogen. Instead, it spotlighted the skyrock-
eting number of deaths and injuries nationwide involving e-bikes. Among the authors’ stunning con-
clusions: From 2017 to 2022, the U.S. saw a staggering 30-fold jump in injuries
related to e-bikes. Helmet use dropped, and accidents resulting in hospitalizations increased 43-fold. E-bike injuries to children also rose sharply, to 13% of all cases. E-bike head trauma, meanwhile,
was 49 times higher from just a few years before. It jumped from 163 cases in 2017 to nearly 8,000 cases by 2022. For many city leaders and county supervisors, that JAMA report con- fi rmed what they already suspected: E-bikes and motorists often appear to be on a collision course, with tragic circumstances. E-bike proponents credit cheap e-bikes with reducing traffi c conges-
Batteries Cited in Deadly Fires C
ritics blame the e-bike “micromobility” trend
for a spate of deadly fires, particularly in urban centers where the devices are widely used for transportation and deliveries.
The primary culprit:
substandard, uncertified batteries that overheat and even explode. One recent, shocking
example of the mayhem linked to lithium batteries: In July, a
24 NEWSMAX | SEPTEMBER 2025
pedic surgeon and sports medicine director at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, says injuries from e-bikes look more like vehicle accident injuries than bike accidents. Waterman tells Newsmax the
e-bike trend really took off as the COVID-19 lockdowns began to sub- side.
“So probably upwards of 40%
to 50% of the e-bike injuries we’ve seen have occurred in this latter time frame from 2022 on,” he says. “We’re defi nitely seeing an incremental rise — you might even call it exponential.” E-bike industry advocates blame
a lack of safety training, distract- ed motorists, and the substandard equipment on cheap imports. E-bikes require little muscle power
but can travel at speeds of over 20 mph. In large cities, it’s not uncommon
to see helmetless e-bikers weaving from streets to sidewalks and back again as they rush about making their daily deliveries. Some e-bike accidents are utterly
tragic: In New Smyrna Beach in Flor- ida, a grandmother recently bought her visiting grandson a new e-bike. The boy wasn’t wearing a helmet
76-year-old woman was using the restroom in a Queens pizza shop when the lithium-ion battery of an e-bike parked inside the restaurant exploded. The woman was transported to the hospital and died from her injuries. Between 2019 and 2023 the number of e-mobility battery fires in Gotham jumped nearly 800%, according to Underwriters Laboratories (UL). It estimates lithium
battery fires from a range of devices cost New York City over half a billion dollars in damage over those four years as well. New York City Mayor Eric
Adams recently noted some e-bikes “are powered by unsafe, uncertified batteries that at any minute could combust.” Several municipal
apartment towers have banned bringing e-bikes indoors as a potential fire hazard. That means e-bikes must be stored and charged
outside, raising the risk they could be stolen. In 2023, New York City banned the sale of cheap e-bikes with untested lithium batteries. While no one doubts that uncertified e-bike batteries still find their way across the Hudson River, public awareness campaigns and tougher enforcement are making a diff erence. Last year, the number of deaths attributed to lithium- battery fires in New York City dropped to six, compared to the 18 recorded in 2023. — D.P.
BROKEN E-BIKE/THEODORE PARISIENNE FOR NY DAILY NEWS VIA GETTY IMAGES
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