Takeaway
Throttle-powered e-bikes are motorized vehicles that require the same safety preparation as motorcycles—they're far more than a simply bicycle with a battery. Clinicians can open a conversation about helmet use and safe riding practices by asking patients directly, "Do you ride an e-bike?"
Lifelong learning in clinical excellence | September 8, 2026 | 2 min read
By Akshita Jade Kumar, MD, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
“14-year-old male. E-bike versus car. Trauma activation. ETA five minutes.”
As a pediatric trauma surgeon, activations like this have become a common part of my job. But there’s one patient encounter that’s stayed with me. By the time he arrived to our trauma bay, it was clear the patient’s injuries were catastrophic. EMS reported that he wasn’t wearing a helmet and had been struck by a vehicle while traveling about 50 mph. His heart had already stopped once, but CPR restored circulation. The patient remained completely unresponsive, sustained only by machines and medications. He was unrecognizable due to the extent of his head and facial injuries. Despite every effort from our trauma team, there was nothing we could do to save him.
Later, I sat with his family as they struggled to comprehend the unimaginable. I explained that their son’s injuries weren’t survivable. Their grief turned into anger. They searched for answers that none of us could provide. More than anything, they wanted their healthy, beautiful son back.
Could one conversation have made a difference?
To this day, I think about that family. Not because I wonder whether we could have done more in the trauma bay—we couldn’t. I think about them because I wonder whether there was an opportunity to help long before that day. Could one conversation have made the difference?
“We thought it was just a bike.” “All the kids at school have one.” “I didn’t know they went that fast.” I hear these sentiments repeatedly from families affected by e-bike injuries. These aren’t isolated tragedies anymore— they’re an emerging injury pattern we must address.
E-bikes have become increasingly popular among children and adolescents. I define e-bikes here as those powered by a throttle without pedal-assist, and that have minimal oversight on speed and safety regulations. They offer independence, recreation, and transportation, but they’re not simply bicycles with a battery.
For many children, an e-bike is their first motorized vehicle. Yet families often approach it with the expectations they have for a traditional bicycle, rather than the preparation they would give for a motorcycle. E-bikes require helmets, training, an understanding of the rules of the road, and the maturity to operate them safely.
“Do you or your child ride an e-bike?”
Asking patients this simple question creates an opportunity to discuss helmet use, safe riding practices, visibility, and responsibility. It reminds patients and parents that an e-bike deserves the same thoughtful preparation we would encourage before handing a teenager the keys to a motorcycle.
Exceptional care extends beyond treating injuries. As a pediatric trauma surgeon, I bear witness to what happens when prevention fails. This experience gives me a responsibility beyond the trauma bay—not only to educate patients and families, but also to advocate for safer communities, greater public awareness, and evidence-informed policies that protect children and adults before they become our patients.
Whether through conversations with families, collaboration with schools, injury prevention initiatives, or legislative advocacy, we have an opportunity to change this injury pattern. It begins by recognizing that an e-bike is not just a bike.
Click here to download the AAA e-ride safety guide to share with patients and families.
This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.