{"id":433479,"date":"2026-09-12T02:58:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T02:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/433479\/"},"modified":"2026-09-12T02:58:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T02:58:11","slug":"crashes-involving-e-bikes-lead-to-more-serious-injuries-vs-crashes-on-traditional-bikes-data-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/433479\/","title":{"rendered":"Crashes involving e-bikes lead to more serious injuries vs. crashes on traditional bikes, data shows"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Following the death of an 11-year-old in Fort Bend County<\/a> who was rushed to the hospital after an e-scooter crash, ABC13 looked into the data on which is safer: a traditional bike or an e-bike.<\/p>\n

The data is nuanced. ABC data experts say local agencies don’t always distinguish whether a bike, e-bike, or scooter is involved in an incident. However, a national review shows some trends.<\/p>\n

Despite Houston’s car-centric design and attitude, the city and surrounding area have a rich bike culture.<\/p>\n

“Because it’s a lesser-known scene and lesser-used mode of transportation in Houston, people who use bikes tend to band together into a community,” Bike Houston executive director Joe Cutrufo said.<\/p>\n

Cutrufo said e-bikes have changed the commuter game in cities as big as Houston.<\/p>\n

“It gets really hot here, and you don’t have to sweat as much when you are on an e-bike, or if you have had a knee injury or you have arthritis or you just can’t manage long distances on a regular bike, an e-bike is a great tool for you because it helps extend your range,” Cutrufo said.<\/p>\n

A national review by Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives found no clear evidence that either e-bike or traditional bike riders crash more than the other.<\/p>\n

The review did find that when an e-bike rider does crash, they are more likely to suffer more serious injuries. This includes injuries to the head, neck, face, and even traumatic brain injuries.<\/p>\n

Looking back, the review shows that as e-bike use has exploded, emergency visits related to e-bike crashes more than doubled between 2022 and 2024.<\/p>\n

Fatalities also grew. In 2017, the review found no deaths nationwide. Fast forward to 2023, there were 91 fatalities, and in 2024 there were 97.<\/p>\n

Cutrufo said some e-bikes can go up to 20 miles an hour, which he finds too fast for most kids. Cutrufo encourages parents to go to a local bike shop, rather than buying online, to find out what is right for their child or themselves.<\/p>\n

“They have the equipment that you need; they have the knowledge that you need. When you shop for an e-bike online, sometimes you don’t know exactly what you are getting. So do your research, but also talk to an expert; go to a local bike shop,” Cutrufo said.<\/p>\n

Cutrufo said e-motor bikes have also become more popular and should not be lumped in with e-bikes. He said only adults with experience on motorized bikes should ride them and that they are generally not safe for kids, especially in an urban setting with cars.<\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2026 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Following the death of an 11-year-old in Fort Bend County who was rushed to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":433480,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[150604,56,58,57],"class_list":["post-433479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-150604","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=433479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/433480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=433479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=433479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=433479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}