A UC San Diego study analyzing California Highway Patrol data found reported e-bike crashes increased dramatically between 2018 and 2024, with younger riders experiencing more serious injuries than traditional bicyclists.
A new study from researchers at the University of California, San Diego found that reported electric bike (e-bike) collisions in California increased dramatically between 2018 and 2024, with younger riders and more severe injuries accounting for a larger share of cases compared with traditional bicycles.
The study, published in Trauma Surgery and Acute Care Open, analyzed data from the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). Researchers reviewed collisions involving e-bikes and traditional bicycles reported between 2018 and 2024.
According to the study, researchers analyzed 4,035 e-bike collisions and 58,332 traditional bicycle collisions, making it one of the largest statewide analyses of e-bike injuries conducted in California.
E-Bike Collisions Rose From 2 Cases to 1,506
The analysis found that reported e-bike collisions increased from 2 cases in 2018 to 1,506 cases in 2024.
Researchers described the increase as exponential over the seven-year study period.
Younger Riders Represented a Larger Share of E-Bike Injuries
The study found that injured e-bike riders were generally younger than injured riders of traditional bicycles.
Among reported injury cases:
15.6% of injured e-bike riders were 14 years old or younger.
10.2% of injured traditional bicycle riders were 14 years old or younger.
Moderate to Severe Injuries Were More Common
Researchers reported that e-bike riders experienced a higher proportion of moderate to severe injuries than riders involved in traditional bicycle collisions.
The study concluded that the growth in reported e-bike crashes was accompanied by an increase in injury severity among riders.
Study Based on Statewide Collision Data
The research used collision records from the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), which includes police-reported traffic collisions across California.
The study covered collisions reported from 2018 through 2024 and compared injury patterns between electric bicycles and conventional bicycles.
Researchers Call for Safety Measures
Based on the findings, the researchers said the rapid increase in reported e-bike injuries highlights the need for additional safety efforts as e-bike use continues to expand.
The study identifies education, rider safety initiatives and other injury prevention strategies as areas that could help reduce injuries, particularly among younger riders.
The study did not report findings by race or ethnicity, including data specific to Hispanic or Latino riders.
