Twin Cities hospitals warn of sharp rise in kids’ e‑bike injuries

Doctors at Gillette Children’s and Regions Hospital in St. Paul say they are seeing a sharp and "alarming" rise in serious e‑bike and e‑scooter injuries among children and teens and are urging Twin Cities families to treat the devices as motor vehicles, not toys. At a Tuesday press conference, Colleen Wood, pediatric trauma program manager at Regions, said e‑bike admissions to its emergency department have jumped 800% since 2023, while e‑scooter admissions are up 80%, with nearly one‑third of 2025 e‑bike injuries involving kids and teens. Physicians report traumatic brain injuries, broken bones and even spinal cord damage, often involving heavier, faster e‑bikes ridden without helmets or adequate supervision. They’re reminding parents that Minnesota law requires riders to be at least 15 to operate an e‑bike, and are pushing helmets, strict age limits and closer adult oversight as the bare minimum to keep kids out of the trauma bay as warm‑weather riding ramps up across the metro.