California Study Finds E-Bike Injuries Surge, Children Face Greatest Risk

July 21, 2026

By Brian Hews

A new statewide study found that e-bike injuries in California have risen sharply over the past seven years, with children making up a growing share of victims and riders suffering significantly more serious injuries than those on traditional bicycles.

The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open, analyzed more than 62,000 bicycle-related collisions reported throughout California between 2018 and 2024. Researchers identified 4,035 crashes involving e-bikes and found reported injuries rose from just two cases in 2018 to 1,566 in 2024.

While traditional bicycle crashes remained relatively stable during the same period, e-bike injuries rose sharply, prompting researchers to call for stronger safety education, improved regulations, and targeted injury prevention efforts.

One of the study’s most concerning findings involved children.

Researchers found riders age 14 and younger represented the largest and fastest-growing group of injured e-bike riders. Children accounted for 15.6 percent of injured e-bike riders compared with 10.2 percent of injured traditional bicyclists, and the number of injured children increased each year, highlighting a growing safety concern.

The severity of those injuries also stood out.

Moderate-to-severe injuries occurred in 15.8 percent of e-bike crashes compared with 11.9 percent for traditional bicycles. Researchers attributed the difference to the greater speed and weight of e-bikes, which can generate higher-energy collisions than conventional bicycles.

Although the overall death rate during the seven-year study was similar between e-bike riders and traditional bicyclists, researchers found a troubling shift in 2024, when fatalities involving e-bike riders began exceeding those involving traditional cyclists. They said the trend warrants close monitoring as e-bike use continues to expand and safety concerns increase.

The study also found behavioral differences between riders.

Compared with traditional bicyclists, e-bike riders were more likely to be found at fault in crashes and more likely to be cited for unsafe speed and improper turning violations, suggesting greater safety risks tied to rider behavior. Researchers suggested the greater speed capabilities of e-bikes could contribute to these crash patterns.

Another surprising finding involved where crashes occurred.

In contrast to traditional bicycle collisions, which were more common in neighborhoods with greater social vulnerability, e-bike crashes tended to occur in less socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. Researchers believe that reflects the higher purchase price of e-bikes and their adoption by households with higher financial resources.

Helmet use remains difficult to evaluate because police crash reports frequently lacked complete information. Researchers said the missing data prevented firm conclusions about helmet use rates, although they stressed helmets remain one of the most effective ways to reduce serious head injuries.

The authors recommended safety measures, including establishing minimum rider ages for different classes of e-bikes, expanding rider education programs, strengthening helmet requirements, improving bike infrastructure, standardizing e-bike classifications and speed labeling, and linking California’s e-bike incentive programs to mandatory safety education.

Researchers acknowledged several limitations. The analysis included only crashes reported to law enforcement, meaning many single-rider falls and incidents that never generated a police report were not captured. The study also could not determine injury rates based on miles ridden because no statewide exposure data exist, nor could researchers distinguish between legal e-bikes and illegally modified, higher-powered models.

The findings arrive as many Southern California communities continue to see explosive growth in e-bike use among children and teenagers, particularly during the summer months. Researchers concluded that without coordinated safety measures, rider education and improved infrastructure, California is likely to see the number of serious e-bike injuries continue to climb, increasing the safety risk for young riders.