LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — E-bikes and e-scooters are becoming a common sight on valley roads, but new research from UNLV is raising serious questions about how safe they are — and doctors are calling for stronger protections for riders.
A report on e-bike crashes was released Monday morning. Hours later, at the intersection of Spring Mountain and Cimarron roads, a crash sent a scooter rider to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after police say the rider entered the path of a car.
According to UNLV's Traffic Safety Research Group, emergency departments nationally treated more than 380,000 e-scooter injuries and 115,000 e-bike injuries between 2017 and 2024.
WATCH | E-bikes and e-scooters are growing in popularity, but new research highlights serious safety risks
"They get aggressive around here. But I don't think they realize how dangerous it is."
Dr. Deborah Kuhls, the associate dean for research for the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, said the risks go beyond how fast these devices can travel.
"These devices, whether they be e-bikes or other e-mobility items, they are readily available and they're marketed to people of all ages, including young people," Kuhls said.
Kuhls pointed to a lack of safety regulations, inconsistent bike infrastructure and riders — including children — who may not know the rules of the road.
"Many of the riders are children who, you know, are probably going to be drivers in their future, aren't old enough, so they don't even really know the rules of the road," Kuhls said.
Kuhls said the devices aren't going away, so the focus now is making them safer — with better education, safer places to ride and stronger safety measures.
"I would say that brain injuries are one of the most common injuries on these devices, and they really will change the way that we think…" Kuhls said.
For researchers, the goal isn't to keep people off e-bikes and e-scooters. It's to make sure riders understand the risks before a convenient ride turns into a life-changing crash.
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