Have you been on an e-bike or scooter recently? WTOP talked to a local trauma surgeon who says she’s seen a lot of injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening from these micromobility devices.
“These are super fun, but they can be dangerous to riders and other people nearby,” said Dr. Christine Trankiem, chief of trauma and acute care surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in D.C.
“As e-bikes become more popular, we’ve been seeing more injuries from them,” she added.
Trankiem said that the biggest common thread for those who are injured on e-bikes and scooters is not paying attention.
“Especially if people are riding a scooter and they have their ear pods in or they’re texting on their phone … they don’t have great situational awareness. So they might run into a pedestrian, they might get hit by a car. We see these things all the time,” Trankiem said.
She advised riders to wear helmets, ride solo and limit distractions.
“We recommend using protected bike lanes when they’re available, not to ride with passengers and when you’re operating one of these micromobility devices to make sure that your vision, hearing and hands are unencumbered,” she said.
Trankiem said they’re seeing a range of injuries from minor sprains to the more serious injuries.
“Life threatening injuries, like injuries to the internal organs, the liver, spleen, the kidneys and sometimes these patients need multiple major surgeries for what we would consider potentially avoidable injuries,” Trankiem said.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
