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.
📊 Relevant Data
Non-Hispanic Black consumers represented 29% of micromobility device-related injuries from 2017 to 2022, compared to 13% of the U.S. population.
E-Scooter and E-Bike Injuries Soar: 2022 Injuries Increased Nearly 21% — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Children 14 years and younger accounted for about 36% of micromobility injuries from 2017 to 2022, double their 18% proportion of the U.S. population.
E-Scooter and E-Bike Injuries Soar: 2022 Injuries Increased Nearly 21% — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Black children accounted for 16.0% of pediatric e-scooter injuries from 2020 to 2024, a greater proportion compared to their representation among all pediatric injuries and other micromobility-related injuries.
Disparities in incidence and severity of electric scooter injuries in children — Injury
Hispanic children accounted for 15.7% of pediatric e-scooter injuries from 2020 to 2024, a greater proportion compared to their representation among all pediatric injuries and other micromobility-related injuries.
Disparities in incidence and severity of electric scooter injuries in children — Injury
The U.S. e-bike market was estimated at USD 2 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow to USD 2.2 billion in 2026, contributing to increased usage and injury risks.
US E-Bike Market Size & Share 2026-2035 — Global Market Insights
📌 Key Facts
- Regions Hospital emergency department has seen an 800% increase in e‑bike injury admissions since 2023.
- E‑scooter injury admissions at Regions are up 80% over the same period.
- Nearly one‑third of 2025 e‑bike injuries treated at Regions involved children and teens, despite Minnesota’s 15‑and‑up e‑bike operating age rule.
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