“ The data point to actionable solutions— helmet use, safer bike lane design, and enforcement— that could prevent many of these injuries and better protect both riders and pedestrians, who in our study often sustained even more severe brain injuries than the riders themselves.”
Issue 35.3 SUMMER 2026
( whether patients were admitted or not) that involved such devices increased from less than 10 percent in 2018 to more than 50 percent by 2023.
The most common cause of injury was a collision with a car or truck, accounting for about half of cases, said the study authors. Fewer than one-third of riders wore helmets, and this was linked to significantly higher rates of brain and facial injuries. About one in five patients tested positive for alcohol, which was tied to both worse brain injuries and lower helmet use.
Importantly, the 69 pedestrians analyzed in the study, when struck by electric vehicles, suffered brain injuries at nearly double the rate of the riders, said the authors. Injuries peaked between 6 and 8 p. m., suggesting that heavy dinnertime e-bike delivery traffic may play a role.
“ Our study shows that micromobility injuries are producing serious brain and spinal trauma that demands neurosurgical care at a scale we haven’ t seen before,” said corresponding author Hannah Weiss, MD, a resident in the Department of Neurosurgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.“ In a busy urban setting, we are seeing more and more of these injuries firsthand. The data point to actionable solutions— helmet use, safer bike lane design, and enforcement— that could prevent many of these injuries and better protect both riders and pedestrians, who in our study often sustained even more severe brain injuries than the riders themselves.”
For the study, researchers reviewed records of every patient treated by the trauma team at NYC Health + Hospitals / Bellevue between January 2018 and August 2023 for injuries involving bikes or scooters. The patients included riders of both electric and pedal-powered bikes and scooters, as well as pedestrians struck by these devices. The team collected information on helmet use, alcohol levels, injury type, brain scans, surgeries performed, and length of hospital stay.
“ Our findings make clear that urban infrastructure must continue to improve to keep pace with the rapid rise of electric bikes and scooters,” said Paul P. Huang, MD, associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and chief of neurosurgery at NYC Health + Hospitals / Bellevue.“ Future studies should track these injuries across multiple cities and measure whether protected bike lanes, helmet programs, and speed enforcement actually reduce the number of brain and spine surgeries we perform.” g
“ The data point to actionable solutions— helmet use, safer bike lane design, and enforcement— that could prevent many of these injuries and better protect both riders and pedestrians, who in our study often sustained even more severe brain injuries than the riders themselves.”
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