Doctors at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney are treating a growing number of young people with serious head injuries, broken bones and internal trauma after e-bike crashes, with medical staff reporting that nearly half of the hospital’s major trauma cases over one recent long weekend involved riders thrown from the fast-moving devices.
During the recent Anzac Day long weekend, trauma specialists at the Darlinghurst hospital treated 17 major trauma patients, many of them linked to e-bike crashes. Emergency doctors said the injuries were no longer limited to cuts and bruises, with some patients arriving with traumatic brain injuries, collapsed lungs, fractured ribs and damage to organs including the liver and spleen.
St Vincent’s co-director of trauma Dr Tom Crofts said hospital staff were seeing more young riders admitted after night-time crashes involving shared e-bikes, alcohol and low helmet use. Medical teams said many patients were young people and had suffered injuries that could affect them for years.
E-Bike Injuries at St Vincent’s Have Nearly Doubled Each Year
Data released by St Vincent’s Hospital showed emergency department presentations linked to e-bikes climbed to 201 cases in 2025, up from 103 the previous year and 45 cases in 2023.
Doctors at the hospital said the injuries often resembled motorcycle trauma rather than standard bicycle accidents because of the speed and weight of modern e-bikes. Doctors said crashes involving speeds above 25 km/h often resulted in severe injuries when riders were thrown onto roads or footpaths.
Medical staff also reported concerns about illegally modified e-bikes capable of travelling faster than legal limits. Doctors said some crashes occurred late at night on roads and footpaths.
St Vincent’s said some patients required intensive care treatment and lengthy hospital stays after high-speed crashes. Medical teams at the hospital also said helmet use among e-bike riders remained low despite the growing number of serious head injuries entering emergency departments.
Pedestrians and Teenagers Also Caught in the Growing Problem
St Vincent’s Hospital has also begun examining cases involving pedestrians struck by e-bikes on footpaths as concerns grow about rider behaviour in busy public areas.
At the same time, the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network reported that 111 children had already been admitted this year with injuries linked to e-bikes and e-scooters. Nearly two-thirds of those patients were aged between 13 and 18.
Hospital staff said injuries among children ranged from broken bones and deep tissue wounds to severe head trauma. Health workers also warned parents to check whether e-bikes had been illegally altered to travel at higher speeds.
Doctors said children not wearing helmets faced a much greater risk of serious or critical injury during crashes.
Doctors Push for Safer Riding Habits Across Sydney
Despite the growing number of trauma cases, doctors at St Vincent’s said e-bikes still had value as a transport option if riders used them responsibly.
Medical staff urged riders to wear helmets, avoid riding after drinking alcohol and stay visible at night, particularly in busy parts of Sydney where roads and footpaths can quickly become crowded.
Emergency specialists said many serious injuries could be reduced through helmet use and avoiding alcohol before riding.
Published 15-May-2026
