E-bike injuries are on the rise in California. Most of the victims are 14 years old or younger, the study finds
Electric bike crashes and injuries are increasing at a rapid rate across California, and many of those injured are children 14 years old or younger, according to a new study by researchers at UC San Diego.
E-bike riders were involved in at least 4,035 collisions in California from 2018 to 2024. While the number of crashes involving traditional bicycles remained stable over the seven-year period, collisions involving bicycles increased dramatically.
No e-bike accidents involving injuries were noted in the study in 2018 and 2019, but in 2024, 1,566 were recorded in California.
“E-bike injuries are increasing rapidly in California and are associated with greater severity of injuries compared to traditional bicycles,” according to the report, which was published Friday in the journal Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open.
Researchers from UC San Diego compiled the numbers by analyzing data from the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. The data includes traffic incidents and reports submitted by law enforcement agencies across the country.
E-bikes have grown rapidly in popularity and are common on city streets, parks, trails and bike paths.
Their increase has created challenges for the police, lawyers and parents.
E-bikes can go faster than traditional bikes and are often ridden by children and teenagers who may not have the experience to handle speed.
Medical officials have previously noted more e-bike-related injuries end up in emergency rooms, and the injuries are often more severe than those involving traditional bicycles.
Legal authorities say parents sometimes buy electric scooters for their children thinking they are similar to e-bikes, but e-scooters can reach much higher speeds than regular e-bikes and require a driver’s license.
California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta earlier this year asked online retailers to accurately identify e-bikes and e-motorcycles, a move that came days after Amazon halted sales in California of certain electric two-wheelers that reach speeds higher than state laws allow.
Among other findings, the study said that e-bike riders who are injured tend to be younger than those who are injured on traditional bikes. The highest rate of e-bike injuries in the state, according to the study, is among riders 14 or younger.
The study found that 15.8% of riders injured on e-bikes were in the 14-or-younger age group. Among riders injured on traditional bicycles, 10.2% were 14 or younger.
The study also found that, compared to traditional cyclists, e-bike riders are more likely to be injured, and are more likely to be at fault or responsible for one or more traffic violations during a crash, such as traveling at an unsafe speed or making a wrong turn.
The rapid popularity of e-bikes has made it difficult for law enforcement agencies, regulatory groups and medical officials to measure what injuries are caused by e-bikes.
Law enforcement agencies reached by The Times said that some local agencies did not collect specific data on e-bike crashes or citations because the problem is new in many areas and the numbers are often difficult to define, with e-bike injuries often associated with traditional bike injuries.
“Historically, classifying these emerging modes of transportation has had tracking challenges,” a spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told The Times in May.
This year, the increase in e-bike injuries and accidents has prompted police agencies to initiate public awareness campaigns and law enforcement efforts directed at e-bikes and e-motorcycles.
In California, e-bikes are divided into three categories, divided by speed and power. All must have pedals to be classified as an e-bike. Class 1 bikes can reach speeds of up to 20 mph, and can be ridden by anyone. Class 2 bikes can also be ridden by people of any age, but are throttled and reach a maximum speed of 20 mph. Class 3 bikes can reach a maximum speed of 28 mph, and riders must be at least 16 years old and wear a helmet.
Bikes without pedal assist, or those that can reach speeds over 28 mph are considered electric motorcycles and require a driver’s license and DMV registration.
A series of accidents and deaths involving e-bikes has prompted police and prosecutors to arrest, seize the bikes and file charges against the riders and their parents.
In Orange County, prosecutors have filed charges against the mother of a 14-year-old boy who allegedly hit and killed an 81-year-old man on an electric motorcycle. In Yorba Linda, the father of a 12-year-old boy was charged after the child was injured while riding a modified e-motorcycle.
