August 10, 2026
As Denver Health's trauma medical director rounded on her pediatric trauma patients on a recent weekday, she noticed a disturbing pattern by the end. Every child admitted for trauma – whose wounds included broken bones piercing through the skin, traumatic brain injuries, blunt abdominal injuries and others that required care in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit – was there because of an e-scooter or e-bike crash.
"I don't know if 'epidemic' is the right word, but I think it's a serious problem," said Bailee Olliff, MD. "It is truly a public health issue."
It's especially disappointing to see injuries to children because they aren't old enough to ride. Veo, the licensed e-scooter and e-bike provider in Denver, requires users to be at least 18. But that hasn't stopped children from riding them, and it hasn't stopped parents from enabling their use.
Olliff, who has treated e-scooter injuries in children as young as 5, hopes parents talk to their kids about the dangers, especially in light of a recent death. A 13-year-old Denver boy was struck by a car while riding a rented e-bike in May near West Colfax Avenue and Knox Court. He died a month later.
"It's horrible, because he's just a kid, and he's not old enough to even understand the risks and benefits," Olliff said. "A lot of people are getting hit by cars, and a car is going to win every time."
Maybe, Olliff said, the tragic story of the 13-year-old is enough to change at least one family's stance about allowing kids on e-scooters, which might save a life.
Something needs to change.
Olliff said Denver Health's Level I trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center have treated an alarming number of scooter injuries in recent months, accounting for nearly 6% of total trauma volume. That's approaching the level of patients treated for knife and gunshot wounds.
Sobering statistics
The numbers back up what Olliff has observed firsthand. Injuries from e-scooters have risen sharply in recent years. Denver Health orthopedic surgeon and Associate Chair of Orthopedics Alexander Lauder, MD, has led two studies examining this growing trend.
In a 2022 study, the number of Denver Health patients with orthopedic injuries – think bones, joints and muscles – from e-scooters rose from 23 to 197, a 757% increase, following the widespread commercial introduction of the devices in the city. Among patients tested, 73% were intoxicated.
A 2024 study identified 2,424 e-scooter-related injuries at Denver Health over nearly four years, beginning in January 2020. Total related injuries rose from 273 to a peak of 758 in 2022. Nearly half happened between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m., and 44% happened on weekends.
The researchers wrote that their findings show a need for "increased public awareness," clearer traffic laws and safety efforts that address the dangers of e-scooter use. They also suggested that if Denver instituted a nighttime restriction policy on these vehicles, associated injuries could be cut in half.
Not worth the risk
Olliff understands why e-scooters and e-bikes have become popular ways to get around Denver. Not everyone can afford a car. Public transportation does not work for every trip. People use them to get to work, school and appointments.
The problem, she said, is that riders often treat them casually and without the same level of danger that comes with getting behind the wheel of a car.
Olliff agrees with the researchers on the need for increased awareness and safety around e-scooters. That starts at home.
On that day in the pediatric ward, room after room, she gave her talk to each child and their parents.
Simply put, children should not be riding, and for adults, helmets and sobriety should be non-negotiable.
