As the hum of electric motors joins the city soundtrack from the Lakefront Trail to Milwaukee Avenue, e-bikes are rapidly reshaping how Chicagoans commute, cruise, and explore.
But with this mobility boom comes a growing concern: more riders, more speed, and more collisions on busy streets make the question of risk impossible to ignore. According to a recent U.S. study, the incidence of head trauma from e-bike crashes jumped about 49-fold between 2017 and 2022, far outpacing the growth in traditional bicycle incidents.
While this is national data, it signals what many Chicago hospitals and attorneys are beginning to see: e-bike crashes are not only more frequent, but more serious.
This article breaks down what that means for riders, policymakers, and anyone sharing the road. You’ll learn:
- E-bike and micromobility usage in Chicago
- Top causes of e-bike crashes
- Common injury and fatality patterns
- Current e-bike laws and legal rights
- Safety and next-step tips after a crash
Electric Bicycle and Micromobility Usage in Chicago
While detailed crash statistics specific to e-bikes in Chicago are limited, city data paints a clear picture of how rapidly micromobility use is growing and why accidents are becoming more common.
According to the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), residents and visitors took a record 11 million shared bike and scooter trips in 2024, up from 8.7 million in 2023. This total includes both pedal and electric bikes, as well as shared e-scooters. The steady rise shows how deeply micromobility has become part of Chicago’s transportation network.
A few key takeaways from recent year reports:
- Rides are increasing fast: Shared bike and scooter trips grew over 25% year-over-year, with e-bikes accounting for a large share of that growth.
- More riders means more exposure: Even if crash rates stay steady, total incidents rise as more people use e-bikes daily.
- Overall bicyclist crashes remain significant: Chicago averages roughly 1,400 bicycle crashes per year, according to research published in Sustainability (MDPI 2024). This number covers all types of bicycles, not just e-bikes, but shows the scale of vulnerability for riders on city streets.
In short, e-bikes are changing how Chicago moves, but they’re also changing how often and how severely riders are getting hurt. As usage grows, so does the importance of tracking accident data, improving infrastructure, and protecting injured e bike riders through proper legal action.
E-Bike Injury and Fatality Statistics
Despite Chicago’s sharp increase in shared micromobility trips, city agencies still don’t track e-bike crashes separately from traditional bicycles. That makes it difficult to see exactly how often — and how seriously — riders are getting hurt on local streets.
To understand what’s happening in Chicago, it helps to zoom out. National safety data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reveals a clear pattern: as e-bikes become more common, injuries and fatalities are rising across the country.
Those trends offer valuable insight into what’s likely unfolding on Chicago’s roads.
A Rapid Rise in Micromobility Injuries
According to the CPSC’s 2023 report on micromobility products, emergency rooms nationwide treated an estimated 360,800 injuries linked to e-bikes, e-scooters, and hoverboards between 2017 and 2022. Each year, that total grew, with 2022 recording the highest number of micromobility-related injuries to date.
E-bikes accounted for roughly 53,200 of those injuries, representing about 15% of all micromobility incidents. The sharpest year-over-year increases came after 2020, coinciding with rising e-bike sales and broader adoption for commuting and delivery work.
Fatalities Are Increasing Alongside Usage
The same report documented 233 micromobility-related deaths over that five-year period, with fatalities climbing from 5 in 2017 to 76 in 2022. Of those deaths, 104 involved e-bikes, nearly half of all reported fatalities.
These national findings reinforce what local observers are already noticing: as ridership expands, so does exposure to risk. Chicago’s growing micromobility network mirrors national patterns in usage and traffic density, meaning similar injury trends are likely occurring here.
For city planners, these numbers highlight the urgency of improving bike-lane infrastructure and public education around e-bike safety. For riders, they underscore the importance of wearing helmets, following lane rules, and understanding how e-bikes handle differently than traditional bicycles.
Top Causes of E-Bike Crashes
These are the most common factors contributing to e-bike crashes in and around the city.
Poor Road and Surface Conditions
Potholes, cracks, and faded lane markings make navigating city streets unpredictable.
Chicago’s freeze-thaw cycles and heavy traffic take a toll on asphalt, and even small gaps or raised edges can send a rider off balance. E-bikes, which move faster and weigh more than standard bikes, are especially vulnerable to these hazards.
Speed and Power Differences
E-bikes are faster and heavier, which means greater impact force when something goes wrong. Sudden braking, sharp turns, or unexpected obstacles can lead to more serious injuries than those seen in conventional bicycle crashes.
The added power is useful for commuting, but it also narrows reaction time when traffic changes or a car cuts across a bike lane.
Interactions with Vehicles and Other Devices
Much of Chicago’s bike infrastructure is shared with cars, scooters, and pedestrians. Crashes often occur when drivers open doors into bike lanes, make fast left turns, or drift into shared lanes.
Riders also face hazards from parked vehicles, ride-share pickups, and slower scooters in the same space.
Rider Behavior and Experience
E-bikes accelerate quickly and handle differently from pedal bikes. New riders sometimes over-throttle, misjudge braking distances, or struggle with balance.
Inattention — like using a phone or wearing headphones — also plays a role in many incidents. And while helmet use is growing, many riders still skip protective gear, increasing the likelihood of head and neck injuries.
Data Gaps and Underreporting
One challenge in studying e-bike crashes is that they’re often lumped in with traditional bicycle accidents in police and hospital records.
Without clear reporting categories, it’s difficult to track patterns or identify problem areas across the city. This lack of data makes prevention harder and underscores why awareness and rider education are so important.
Common Injury and Fatality Patterns
When e-bike crashes happen, the resulting injuries often differ from those seen in traditional bicycle accidents. The combination of speed, weight, and sudden impact creates more force and more severe trauma.
Injury Severity and Types
Emergency room data across Illinois indicates that e-bike riders are more likely to experience head, chest, and upper-body injuries than cyclists on traditional bikes.
These impacts often result from being thrown forward over the handlebars or colliding with a vehicle. Because e-bikes travel faster, even a low-speed crash can cause concussions, broken bones, or deep-tissue damage.
Why E-Bike Injuries Are More Serious
E-bikes typically weigh twice as much as a standard bicycle and move at nearly double the speed. That added mass means more momentum during collisions — a physics problem that plays out in real terms when riders are struck by cars or lose control.
Riders also tend to brake later and rely more on mechanical rather than physical control, which can increase the chance of impact injuries.
Fatal Accident Trends
While e-bike fatalities remain relatively rare compared to car crashes, they are rising in step with usage. National studies suggest that many fatal crashes involve larger vehicles making left turns or riders losing control after hitting a fixed object such as a curb or pole.
In dense traffic areas like downtown Chicago, where bike lanes and vehicle lanes often merge, those risks are amplified.
Hospitalization and Recovery
Doctors report that e-bike injuries often require longer hospital stays and more advanced imaging, such as CT scans and MRIs. Recovery can be extensive, with many victims facing weeks or months of physical therapy for shoulder, spine, or head trauma.
For working adults, this can translate into lost income and long-term physical limitations, which are factors that shape many personal injury claims.
Safety and Next-Step Tips After a Crash
E-bike accidents can happen suddenly — one bad patch of pavement, one distracted driver, one blind corner. The way you respond in those first few minutes and days can make a major difference in both your recovery and your legal options.
What to Do Immediately After an Accident
If you’re able, move to a safe location and check for injuries. Call 911 right away, even for what seems like a minor crash. E-bike injuries often feel worse hours later once adrenaline wears off.
When emergency responders arrive, request a police report — it’s the foundation for any insurance or legal claim.
Next, document everything:
- Take photos of the scene, your bike, and any visible injuries.
- Note the location, time, and road conditions.
- Get contact details for witnesses and anyone involved.
These details help establish what happened and who may be responsible.
Seeking Medical Care and Reporting Injuries
Always get checked by a doctor after an e-bike crash. Many injuries — especially concussions and internal bruising — aren’t visible right away.
Medical records not only support your recovery but also provide documentation if you decide to pursue a claim.
Understanding Your Legal Options
After medical care, consider consulting a lawyer who handles e-bike and micromobility cases. They can review the circumstances of the crash, help you file insurance claims, and determine whether another party’s negligence played a role.
In Chicago, these cases can involve not just drivers, but also city maintenance crews, construction contractors, or rental companies responsible for faulty equipment.
Prevention Tips for Riders
Keep these tips in mind:
- Wear a helmet — always.
- Use lights and reflective gear when riding e bikes at night.
- Check tire pressure and brakes before every ride.
- Avoid distractions like phones or earbuds.
- Stay alert at intersections and around parked cars.
Each step might seem small, but together they dramatically reduce the risk of serious injury.
Protecting Yourself After an E-Bike Crash
E bike use is dangerous without proper etiquette. If you’ve been injured in an e-bike accident in Chicago or anywhere in Illinois, you don’t have to handle the aftermath alone. Midwest Injury Lawyers represents riders who’ve been hurt in crashes involving negligent drivers, unsafe roads, and faulty equipment.
Reach out today for a free consultation to discuss your case and learn what compensation may be available. Contact us now!