The big e-bike problem. They hurt

Hospital emergency doctors are warning that serious e-bike injuries are on the rise as the popularity of the devices explodes, while governments around the country struggle to balance convenience with public safety.

St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney emergency specialist Dr Tom Crofts said he often treated patients with lacerated spleens or livers from handlebars going into the abdomen, traumatic brain injuries from heads hitting the ground and broken bones as e-bikes became more accessible.

E-bike are becoming more popular in both recreational and professional settings.Credit: Paul Rovere

“There’s been a huge spike in the number of presentations relating to e-bike accidents, definitely over the last two years, and I’d say specifically over the last year,” he said. “They’ve just increased in the numbers and the availability across Sydney, especially in the eastern suburbs in the inner city – they’re dotted around the place everywhere.”

He said alcohol was often involved in e-bike accidents as many riders chose an e-bike as an easy and cheap way to get home at night, and that reform, such as a lockout period overnight, could help to make the devices less accessible to drunk people.

Dr Rohan Laging, deputy director of emergency services at The Alfred in Melbourne, said: “We obviously have a mismatch in the way these things are legislated and the way that they’re getting used in the society. And it’s probably because they’re getting taken up with gusto by a lot of people.”

He said e-bikes often went faster than normal bicycles and speed was a significant factor in the severity of injuries.

“The human body’s very vulnerable to sudden decelerations, which we call blunt-force trauma. And the faster you’re going, and the more quickly you come to a stop, the more significant the injury,” Laging said.

He implored riders to reconsider their speed and use appropriate safety equipment as they were vulnerable without the protection of a car around them.

“We see a lot of these riders with no helmets on at all, or bicycle helmets, and they’re doing non-bicycle speeds. They’re doing speeds that are normally reserved for registered vehicles like motorbikes, which have their own laws around protective equipment, like proper helmets.”

The latest Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit data shows a 627 per cent jump in people going to hospital with an e-bike injury since 2019, though data analyst Jane Hayman noted the rate climbed as people were using the bikes more. There was a 60 per cent rise in injuries in the 2023/24 financial year.

Injuries from e-bikes have increased 60 per cent in the past year.Credit: Edwina Pickles

Hayman said 15-19 year olds were most often going to hospital in Victoria, followed by 20-24 and 25-29 year olds.

“While those aged 16 years or less are not legally allowed to ride on the road, 47 per cent of this age group were injured while riding on a road, street or highway,” Hayman said.

“This is a concern given that they are the largest age group attending hospitals. As e-bikes become more popular more research is warranted to find out how these bikes are being used and ridden by children.”

A pedestrian was hit and killed by a modified e-bike in Victoria this month, and the rider was left with probable “life-changing” injuries. The dead man’s brother called for e-bikes to be banned.

In NSW this month, the government announced plans to legalise e-scooters following a parliamentary inquiry into their use, but made no changes to e-bike regulations.

E-bikes modified to go faster than 25km/h are illegal to ride on or near public roads in both Victoria and NSW.

“Work is going on to create a better framework for shared e-bike schemes that will reduce clutter on streets,” the NSW government said in a statement.

“E-bikes must be mostly propelled by riders; a motor cannot be the only source of power and is there to help riders ... The same rules and responsibilities apply to riders of an e-bike as a traditional bicycle.”

Transport for NSW does not track e-bikes as a separate category in its injury data.

In Queensland, the government launched a parliamentary inquiry this month into the use of e-mobility devices because of a rise in injuries from both e-bikes and e-scooters – up 112 per cent between 2021 and 2024.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg said the increase in injuries could not be ignored.

“It’s important we consider all research and opinions to ensure a safe and reliable future for e-scooters and e-bikes, especially as we welcome visitors from all over the world for the 2032 Games,” he said in a statement.

Queensland Police said more than 2700 infringements were issued for illegal e-mobility road use between November 2022 and December 2024.

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