HCA Florida Brandon Hospital's emergency department reports influx of patients with e-bike and electric scooter-related injuries
The need for emergency care following pediatric accidents on electric bikes and scooters is increasing. Pediatric emergency physicians at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital say the severity of those injuries has increased as well.
“These injuries are typically to the head and neck. When these kids get into these accidents, the bikes and scooters are moving so fast they become projectiles in the air before landing hard on the pavement,” said Dr. Michael Haynes, pediatric emergency physician at Brandon Hospital. “Often times, the kids come in via ambulance, sometimes even unconscious. It’s gut-wrenching seeing the pain for the kids and their families dealing with these [often] preventable injuries.”
According to a National Institute of Health study, e-bike accidents were more likely to result in hospitalization, internal injury and concussion, compared to pedal bicycle accidents. Maximum e-bike speeds (approximately 30 miles per hour) are a contributing factor in the severity of accidents. In addition, most states don’t require a license to drive an e-bike, which allow young children and preteens to legally use e-bikes and drive at high speeds. The state of Florida does require e-bike riders to be at least 16 years of age, but does not require a license. Even fewer restrictions exist to protect riders of electric scooters.
“It is not just the young scooter rider who is injured; drivers and pedestrians can also be involved in these accidents. It impacts the entire community and we see these patients with serious injuries in our ER at Brandon Hospital,” said Dr. Michael Haynes, emergency room physician at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital. “It will take time to make our roads safer for scooter riders. In the interim, scooter riders should wear helmets and respect traffic laws.”
Roadway infrastructure improvements such as dedicated lanes and laws that mandate the wearing of safety equipment will decrease injuries in the future. In the interim, scooter riders can lessen the impact of injuries by obeying speed limits, navigating road hazards carefully and wearing a helmet.