Stay Safe On An Electric Bike When Taking Your Next Vacation
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The popularity of electric bicycles on vacations is soaring, as vacationers rent them or bring their own to a destination. A study by researchers at UC San Francisco reminds vacationers and all electric vehicle users to always keep safety in mind.
Revenue in the e-bike market in the United States is forecasted to reach nearly $2.2 billion this year, according to Statista data. An annual growth rate of 13% is expected through 2029, when e-bike revenues are forecasted to reach $3.6 billion. In 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, 1.1 million e-bikes were sold in America — nearly four times the number sold in 2019.
While e-bike usage rapidly increased, the number of injuries to riders of e-bikes and electric scooters increased substantially, UC San Francisco researchers found. Their study was published last year in JAMA Network Open, a monthly journal of the American Medical Association.
E-bicycle injuries doubled each year 2017-2022, while e-scooter injuries annually rose 45%.
The researchers analyzed injuries and hospitalizations from electric bicycles, electric scooters, conventional bicycles and conventional scooters, using data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.
'The U.S. had a remarkable increase in micromobility injuries during the study period,' said co-author Adrian Fernandez, a doctor in the UCSF Department of Urology. 'This increase in accidents not only introduced a demographic shift but also underscores an urgent need for added safety measures. There are undeniable health and environmental benefits to micromobility vehicle use, but structural changes must be taken to promote safe riding.'
Tourists visiting San Francisco, California, ride their rented electric scooters down Market Street. (Photo by)
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The study found that injured e-riders were slightly older in age and wore helmets less often than riders of nonelectric bicycles and scooters. Electric vehicle users also were more likely to ride while intoxicated.
E-scooter riders were more likely to sustain internal injuries than nonelectric scooter riders, the study determined, while upper extremity injuries were more common among nonelectric-vehicle riders.
Electric scooters and bicycles can travel up to 28 miles per hour but are increasingly dangerous, 'especially in the hands of novices,' the study said.
E-bicycle injuries dramatically increased from 751 in 2017 to 23,493 in 2022, and e-scooter injuries rose from 8,566 to 56,847 during that timeframe, the UC San Francisco researchers found.
The median age was 39 for injured e-bicyclists, compared to 30 for those injured on nonelectric bikes. The median age for injured e-scooter riders was 30, compared to 11 for riders of nonelectric scooters.
'As micromobility vehicles become more embedded in our daily lives, understanding and addressing the safety challenges they pose is critical,' said Benjamin Breyer, a doctor and a study co-author who is the chair of the UCSF Department of Urology. 'This not only involves adapting our urban landscapes but also fostering a culture of safety among riders.'
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