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Surgeons have warned that e-bike injuries are causing a “massive burden” on hospitals as patients are left with severe injuries.
Broken bones are not uncommon, as the speed at which people fall off the bike is much higher, according to surgeons at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.
Over the past six months, the orthopaedics trauma ward has seen 150 cases caused by e-bike accidents – with patients including a 32-year-old with a broken leg, and a six-year-old girl with multiple fractures who was hit by an electric bike.
E-bikes are bikes with a rechargeable battery and an electric motor, meaning they are generally heavier than normal bikes.
They are soaring in popularity in London. Just this week, trips on electric bikes have more than doubled as commuters sought alternative ways to get around the capital while strikes shut down Tube services.
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Lime revealed a more than 50 per cent jump in trips during rush hour traffic on Monday and Tuesday, rising to three-quarters by Wednesday.
But surgeon Jaison Patel is seeing more and more casualties, which he says is putting a “burden” on his department.
Tier, Lime and River e-bikes on a pavement in Chelsea, west London(PA)
“If we can reduce the number of patients coming in with these sorts of injuries, it would be great for the patients obviously, but also takes massive pressure off us in the NHS,” he told the BBC.
His colleague Nick Aresti added that with e-bikes, the injuries they are seeing are much more severe, and people are “struggling to get back to normality”.
Both surgeons agreed that the e-bike industry needs better regulation.
Currently, anyone aged 14 or over can ride an electric bike, with no requirements to have a licence or wear a helmet in place. E-bikes must have a maximum power output of 250 watts and must cut out when they reach a speed of 15.5mph.
Will Norman, the walking and cycling commissioner for London, joined calls for a change in e-bike rules.
He told the BBC: “We need to ensure that the vehicles are safe, that there’s parking, they’re not scattered all over the place, and that the batteries are safe.
“I’m really delighted that the government has now indicated in its English Devolution [and Community Empowerment] Bill that London and other cities across the UK will be getting more powers, so again we can start regulating that, to ensure that they’re safe for people to use and operate while they get around.”
The bill is moving through parliament at the moment, although it is not yet known when it will be passed.
However, Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK, which is a member of the Electric Bike Alliance, argued against increased e-bike regulation.
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He said: “The cost of inactivity-related health issues to the NHS each year is ￡7.4bn, and people cycling saves them ￡1bn.
“We have seen a slight rise in the number of incidents involving hired e-bikes in London, but the health benefits of people cycling outweigh the risks by around 20 to one.”