With e-bike injuries on the rise, St. Vincent’s Medical Center will partner with the city of Bridgeport to give away free helmets made for e-bike riders.
People can get the helmets from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10 while supplies last, according to Hartford HealthCare, which owns the hospital.
“We want to stop the accidents before they happen,” Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim said announcing the initiative Tuesday.
Data shows e-bike injuries are becoming more prevalent. One study found pediatric e-bike and e-scooter injuries have nearly quadrupled at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in recent years. Data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows nearly 60,000 e-bike-related injuries were treated in emergency rooms around the country in 2024.
Dr. Shea Gregg, chair of surgery at St. Vincent’s, said head wounds are the most common type of injury e-bike riders are treated for at the hospital, followed by road rash and fractures of the arm, leg, spine and pelvis.
He said the injuries are similar to motorbike injuries because riders travel at high speed. E-bikes can go up to 28 miles per hour.
“On the weekend, we sometimes see five to six injuries associated with e-bikes and e-scooters,” he said.
Gregg said in nearly all the e-bike injuries treated at St. Vincent’s, the rider was not wearing a helmet. The 150 helmets to be given away Saturday, paid for by a hospital philanthropist, are rated for the higher speeds of e-bikes and scooters. Each helmet includes a bright rear light and reflective stickers that have messages in both English and Spanish about e-bike safety.
