Less than a decade after the popularity of hoverboards, a new trend on wheels has emerged, this time with more risk.
The emergence of e-bikes as a mode of transportation has seen more people riding bikes to get around, but has also led to a significant increase in injuries.
Last week, a teen on an e-bike suffered serious injuries when he was hit by a semi-truck in Westlake. On July 18, Mentor on the Lake police noted the importance of wearing a helmet after responding to a crash in which a 36-year-old man lost control while riding an e-bike.
Dr. Alreem Al Hinai, head of pediatric trauma surgery at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, said UH’s statistics show the number of e-bike injuries they treated tripled in 2025.
“We’ve also seen that, not only did the injuries triple in number, but they were disproportionately more severe or more serious compared to all other injuries that we get in our trauma center,” Dr. Al Hinai said.
Head injuries are most common, according to Al Hinai, but she also mentioned that other parts of the body are just as prone, such as bone fractures, internal injuries to the lungs and abdominal injuries affecting the liver, spleen and intestines.
The uptick in injuries and crashes has caught the attention of Capt. Frank Eschweiler of the Lakewood Police Department.
“You’re seeing so many, just the way they race up and down the sidewalk, the street,” Eschweiler said. “You can see they’re just not really being careful on them, that’s the big thing.”
Eschweiler also noted that e-bikes should stay off the sidewalks and instead use designated bike lanes. He mentioned the likelihood of multiple injuries if someone were to walk out of a business and step into the path of an oncoming rider.
E-bikes are broken up into different classes. According to Pedego, a popular American electric bike brand, e-bikes range from Class 1, which have a top speed of 20 mph and can be ridden by anyone 16 years old or older, to Class 3, which have a top speed of 28 mph and require riders to be 17 years old or older and wear a helmet by law.
Some cities, however, don’t see a difference in the threat each class carries.
Last month, Independence City Council passed an ordinance updating the city’s e-bike laws. The updated ordinance prohibits the use of Class 3 e-bikes on sidewalks anywhere within the municipality.
The ordinance also requires anyone under the age of 18, both operator and passenger, to wear a helmet. It is a change that has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Independence Police Chief Robert Butler.
“I would state that in my tenure here in Independence, this is the most I have seen children under the age of 18 wear helmets,” Butler said.
Officers are also including an extra incentive for children who are riding with a helmet.
“I’ll see kids riding up on their bikes and I’ll pass out … free ice cream coupons for those wearing helmets,” Butler said. “And we’re burning through those coupons.”
The helmets help, but Al Hinai said more protection is recommended.
“A simple bike helmet may not be enough to protect the head from injuries,” Al Hinai said. “So I would highly advocate for motorbike helmets, even for children, and protective gear elsewhere, so bodyguards, knee pads, etc.”
Those protective measures could be the difference between a safe ride and a trip to the emergency room, she said.