How Safe Are E-Bikes and E-Scooters?

About this episode:

As electric scooters and bikes explode in popularity in cities across the globe, concerns about safety abound. Early data shows that injuries from collisions and falls on these devices can include severe head trauma and injuries to internal organs, culminating in increased visits to the hospital. In this episode: Road safety expert Johnathon Ehsani provides an epidemiological overview of the safety data and offers advice for parents and policymakers to prevent injuries.

Guest:

Johnathon Ehsani, PhD, MPH, is an internationally recognized road safety researcher and an associate professor in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Host:

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

• E-Scooters and Micromobility Are Potential Public Health Game Changers for Transportation and Equity—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

• Injuries From Electric Bikes and Scooters: Illinois, U.S., 2021–2023—American Journal of Preventive Medicine

• Crash-Related Protective and Risky Behaviors Among Micromobility Riders: A Nationally Representative Survey—American Journal of Public Health

• Riding an electric scooter: the rules—gov.uk

• Should Cities Be Welcoming Autonomous Vehicles?—Public Health On Call (July 2026)

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