BOSTON — As communities across Massachusetts debate the safety of e-bikes and e-scooters for children, a Boston pediatric trauma surgeon is warning that young riders are suffering increasingly severe injuries on vehicles she says many are too young to handle.
Dashcam video recently captured a close call in Hyannis when a tow truck driver quickly reacted as a boy on an e-scooter sped past his vehicle before falling to the ground unharmed.
But not every child is as fortunate.
“We’re putting 12-year-olds on devices that can go 30 miles an hour plus and they’re playing in traffic literally,” said Dr. Cornelia Griggs, a pediatric surgeon at Massachusetts General Brigham for Children and a childhood injury prevention researcher.
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Griggs said pediatric trauma teams are seeing a dramatic rise in injuries linked to e-bikes and e-scooters.
“The plague of summer 2026 for us in the pediatric trauma division has been injuries from e-bikes and e-scooters or what I like to call e-vehicle,” Griggs told Boston 25’ Kerry Kavanaugh.
She said no other category of pediatric trauma injuries is increasing at the same rate.
“The volume and severity of injuries that we are seeing from these vehicles in the hospital would terrify parents and grandparents alike,” Griggs said.
25 Investigates contacted hospitals including Children’s Hospital Boston, Mass General, UMass Memorial, Cape Cod Hospital, South Shore Hospital and Southcoast Health, all reported increases in e-bike and e-scooter injuries involving children.
Nationally, emergency department visits related to e-bike and e-scooter injuries among patients younger than 18 increased 671%, according to data from health analytics company Truveta.
Griggs said many of the injuries being treated are life-changing.
“And the kind of injuries that we see in children who are riding these vehicles Are extremely severe and dangerous. Some of these children are not coming back whole. We have even seen deaths,” she said.
She also expressed concern about where children are riding.
“And a lot of them are riding with traffic on highways and even riding some of them for fun on sidewalks or even playgrounds,” Griggs said.
She said those behaviors are also leading to serious injuries involving toddlers and older adults.
The concerns come amid several recent fatalities involving young riders in Massachusetts.
In June, 12-year-old Jewel LeBaron died after a crash involving her motorized e-scooter and a school bus in Haverhill.
In November 2025, 13-year-old Parker Robles was riding his e-bike in Stoneham when he collided with a turning vehicle and was killed.
Griggs is among those working with lawmakers to regulate youth use of e-bikes and e-scooters. The proposed Ride Safe Act would establish a minimum riding age of 16, require helmets for all riders, and prohibit children from operating devices capable of speeds greater than 20 mph. Faster vehicles would require registration and permitting similar to other road vehicles.
When asked what she would say to critics who call her concerns alarmist, Griggs offered a direct message to parents.
“If you wouldn’t put your child on a motorcycle, please, please don’t put them on an e-bike. That’s the message here. I want kids outside getting healthy exercise, but children can get plenty of fun exercise on a regular pedal bike,” she said.
The Ride Safe Act has been attached to a broader economic development bill that lawmakers continue to debate. Griggs said the issue is urgent and believes state laws need to catch up with rapidly changing technology.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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