E-micromobility Devices

E-micromobility devices, including e-bikes and e-scooters have become popular across the U.S. for commuting, tourism, and recreation [1]. While affordable and convenient, their increasing use has also been accompanied by rising rates of injuries and emergency department visits nationwide. Between 2017 and 2024, emergency departments nationwide treated an estimated 380,000 e-scooter–related injuries and 155,200 e-bike injuries [2]. These national estimates capture a broader and less severe injury population than the National Trauma Registry cohort presented in this report, as they encompass all emergency department cases, including patients who were treated and released.

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This TREND summarizes patient demographics, injury characteristics, and behavioral factors associated with e-micromobility-related injuries in Nevada utilizing the Nevada Trauma Database between 2021-2025. This analysis is purely descriptive and is not intended to evaluate statistical associations or determine cause-and-effect relationships.

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Data Source

Data were obtained from the Nevada Statewide Trauma Registry (2021-2025). Eligible trauma records were required to have a qualifying primary acute ICD 10- CM injury diagnosis and met at least one registry criterion: direct inpatient admission, observation, transfer directly to another acute care hospital or hospice facility, or death. Patients with isolated superficial injuries, such as minor bruises or abrasions, and those treated in the emergency department and discharged home were not included in the registry. Among eligible trauma records, e-micromobility cases were identified using the ICD-10 primary mechanism external cause code (E-code), which describes the mechanism or external factor that caused the injury. Specific E-codes indicating electric-powered devices were used to identify e-micromobility cases in this analysis.

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Results

E-Micromobility Injuries Over Time (2021 – 2025)

Among 15,503 motor-vehicle trauma records, 505 unique e-micromobility injury cases were identified. As depicted in Figure 1, e-micromobility injuries increased each year from 2021 through 2025, with 3 (0.6%) cases in 2021, 13 (2.6%) in 2022, 98 (19.4%) in 2023, 139 (27.5%) in 2024, and 252 (49.9%) in 2025.

Figure 1. Annual Distribution of E-micromobility Injuries, Nevada, 2021–2025 (N = 505)

Note: 2021 may be atypical due to pandemic-related changes in travel patterns.

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Patient Demographics and Behavioral Factors

• Sex: Males accounted for the majority of injuries (n = 353, 69.9%), followed by females (n = 124, 24.6%); sex was unknown in 28 cases (5.5%).
  
• Age Groups: See Figure 2 and note that age groups cover different numbers of years, with the 65+ group covering the widest age range.

Figure 2. E-micromobility Injury Demographics by Age Groups, Nevada, 2021–2025 (N = 505)

• Race: 312 patients (61.8%) were White, 46 (9.1%) Black/African American, 12 (2.4%) Asian, 9 (1.8%) Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, 1 (0.2%) American Indian, 92 (18.2%) Other Race and 33 (6.5%) had unknown race. In terms of ethnicity, 377 patients (74.7%) were recorded as not Hispanic or Latino.
  
• Protective Equipment Use: 325 (64.4%) patients were not wearing protective equipment, while 126 (25.0%) wore a helmet, 10 (2.0%) wore a helmet with additional protective gear, and 44 (8.7%) had unknown equipment status.
  
• Alcohol Use: Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was tested in 241 patients (47.7%). Among those tested, no alcohol was detected in 179 (74.3%), a BAC ≥ 0.08 was found in 47 (19.5%), and lower detectable levels were present in 15 (6.2%).

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Device Type and Mechanism of Injury

• Devices: E-bikes accounted for 404 (80.0%) of all e-micromobility injuries, while e-scooters 101 (20.0%) made up the remaining. Notably, this distribution differs from national estimates, in which e-scooter injuries predominate, and may reflect differences in local ridership patterns or in how device type is coded.
  
• Mechanism: 266 (52.7%) incidents involved a collision with a motor vehicle, followed by 185 (36.6%) non-collision transport incidents, such as falls or loss of control (see Table 1).

Table 1. Mechanism of E-micromobility Injuries, Nevada, 2021–2025 (N = 505)

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Location, Care, and Outcomes

• Location: Most injuries occurred in Clark County (n = 319, 63.2%), followed by Washoe County (n = 51, 10.1%). The remaining 135 injuries (26.7%) occurred in other Nevada counties, out-of-state, or had unknown counties. These counts should be interpreted with caution because they are not adjusted for population size, and Nevada’s major trauma centers are located in Clark and Washoe counties.
  
• Transport and Facility: Ground ambulance was the primary mode of transport (n = 391, 77.4%). Most patients (n = 412, 81.6%) were treated at a designated trauma center.
  
• Injury Severity and Survival: 221 (43.8%) patients suffered moderate injuries, 70 (13.9%) sustained severe injuries, and 40 (7.9%) suffered very severe injuries (see Figure 3). 493 (97.6%) patients were discharged alive, while 12 (2.4%) died during their hospital stay. Please note that patients who died at the scene or prior to arrival at a hospital are not included in these numbers.

Figure 3. Distribution of E-micromobility Injuries by Injury Severity Score, Nevada, 2021–2025 (N = 505)

Note: Injury Severity Score categories: minor (1–8), moderate (9–15), severe (16–24), very Severe (≥25).

Temporal Patterns

• Monthly: 59 (11.7%) injuries occurred in August, followed by 56 (11.1%) in October (Figure 4). The seasonal pattern is consistent with warmer-weather riding, with the lowest counts in February and the highest in August.

Figure 4. Monthly Distribution of E-micromobility Injuries, Nevada, 2021–2025 (N = 505)  

• Weekly: Injuries were distributed relatively evenly across the week, with a modest peak on Friday (n = 90, 17.8%); the remaining days ranged from 60 to 77 cases.
  
• Time of Day: 48 (25.5%) incidents occurred between 4:00 PM and 7:59 PM, and 46 (24.5%) occurred between 12:00 PM and 3:59 PM (Figure 5).

Figure 5. E-micromobility Injuries by Time Block, Nevada, 2021-2025 (N = 188)

Note. Time of injury was not recorded (unknown/missing) for 317 cases (62.8%); percentages are calculated based on the 188 cases with recorded times (N = 188). 

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Limitations

• This analysis reports case counts rather than rates. Because no measure of e-micromobility ridership or exposure is available, increases in injury counts may reflect growth in the number of riders rather than increased risk per rider.
• The registry does not distinguish privately owned devices from shared or rental devices, which limits the ability to target prevention strategies.
• This study is descriptive and is not designed to prove direct causes or statistical associations.
• The Nevada Statewide Trauma Registry (NTR) has strict inclusion criteria and the findings only represent trauma registry-eligible injuries. Therefore, the total burden of e-micromobility injuries reported are likely underestimated, as less severe injuries that are treated and discharged from emergency departments or outpatient facilities are not included.

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Key Takeaways

• E-micromobility injuries reported in the Nevada Trauma Registry increased significantly from 2021 to 2025.
• Males accounted for roughly 70% of injured patients.
• Patients of all age ranges were injured in e-micromobility crashes, including adults aged 65 years and older.
• 64.4% of patients were without protective gear, including helmets.
• 19.5% of patients tested for alcohol had BAC at or above the legal limit.
• More than half of e-micromobility injuries involved collisions with motor vehicles, highlighting an opportunity for targeted injury prevention and possible infrastructure/engineering improvements.
• These findings provide baseline surveillance data to support future legislation and injury prevention efforts in Nevada.

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References

1. US Department of Transportation. Electric micromobility basics. Updated on May 4, 2023. Accessed July 7, 2026. https://www.transportation.gov/rural/electric-vehicles/ev-toolkit/electric-micromobility
2. Tark J. Micromobility products-related deaths, injuries, and hazard patterns: 2017–2024. US Consumer Product Safety Commission; April 2026. Accessed July 7, 2026. https://www.cpsc.gov/content/Micromobility-Products-Related-Deaths-Injuries-and-Hazard-Patterns-2017-2024

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Data used for this TREND was obtained from the Nevada Statewide Trauma Registry. This research was made possible by a grant from the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety #TS-2026-UNLV-1043

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