Twin Cities doctors warn of rise in injuries from e-bikes, scooters

Twin Cities doctors are sending a serious warning to families after seeing a surge in injuries tied to e-bikes and scooters. 

Doctors, families and elected officials spoke about the issue at Gillette Children's on Tuesday. 

The group said at Regions Hospital alone, ER visits tied to e-bike accidents have increased ninefold over the last three years. 

These aren't minor injuries, either. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and even fatal accidents have happened in that time. 

Doctors say the surge in the Twin Cities follows a trend we're seeing across the country. 

They say the frustrating thing for them is knowing these situations are largely preventable. 

They're calling for families to make sure their kids are, at the very least, wearing a helmet. But also to make sure kids are properly trained to be on the machine to begin with. 

One family who lost their daughter Stella to an e-scooter accident in 2024 spoke on Tuesday.

"Holidays are different, family pictures are different. Watching her friends grow up, going to dances, getting their driver's license. Those are moments we'll never have with Stella," Danielle Michels said. "That's why I'm standing here today. Because this can happen to anyone. We were careful parents. Stella was responsible. We never imagined something like this would happen to our family, but all it took was one ride without a helmet."

The group said now is the time to get the message out as springtime arrives and more people start using e-bikes and scooters.