The senior ambulance official for the region has revealed "alarming statistics" that show the very real human impact of the growing e-bike and e-scooter craze in the Illawarra.

"Between June 2024 and July 2025, we've recorded 200 serious accidents involving e-bikes and e-scooters," said NSW Ambulance Illawarra Zone Manager Paul Edwards. "I'm seriously alarmed by those numbers; they're about four times worse than I'd expected."

In all of those reported cases, the patients were hospitalised, many with very serious injuries. Paul said thankfully, to date, no fatalities have been recorded in this region. 

It's likely there are many hundreds more who made their way to hospital without ambulance assistance, and more still who suffered cuts, grazes and bruises but didn't attend hospital.

Four Illawarra patients a week hospitalised

The ambulance service's official 12-month statistics mean, for an average week in the Illawarra, ambulances are transporting four people a week to hospital after an e-bike or e-scooter crash.

"These are the most serious ones," Paul said. "We're regularly treating and transporting patients suffering a loss of consciousness, suspected spinal injuries and broken arms and legs after coming off these bikes and scooters."

Paul said several patients with spinal injuries have been airlifted to Sydney for specialist treatment.

"It's when people are not wearing a helmet that we see the worst injuries," Paul said. "If you're going to ride an e-scooter or e-bike, wear a helmet. People riding these bikes and scooters have been knocked badly unconscious and once you have a serious head injury it takes a long time to come out of it. Fifty per cent of serious injuries can be prevented just by wearing a helmet." 

Alcohol and e-bikes don't mix

Paul says it isn't just teenagers who are being hurt and requiring hospital treatment. 

"It's a full mix of ages, it doesn't apply to just one age group. We're seeing people who are too old to be riding these vehicles, or they're too young. Like any other motor vehicle, they need to be ridden responsibly, to the conditions, and within the limitations of the person riding them. It's also clear that alcohol and e-scooters and e-bikes do not mix."

Paul said it's no coincidence that the increasing numbers of e-scooters and e-bikes on local footpaths and roads in the past five years has resulted in more accidents and more people being hospitalised.

"Some of these e-bikes have been illegally modified and they can hit high speeds. It limits stability when riding. The higher the speeds the higher the safety risk and the worse the injuries when there's an accident."

They present a silent danger

Paul said a number of the patients transported by ambulance were pedestrians, struck while out walking. "These devices are quiet, and you can't hear them coming up from behind. And e-bikes are heavier than normal bikes so they do more damage when there's an accident."

It's been only in the past decade or so that e-bikes and e-scooters have become such a significant part of our lives. Paul says people need to get used to this new risk.

"If this is the way our society wants to go we need to learn to live with them," Paul said. "It's still new to us all. They look great and fun to ride but we have to be responsible.

"Riding these devices without taking the proper precautions can be life changing. A decision that you take, can in 3 to 4 seconds change your life forever. That has an impact on the paramedics who have to treat you, it affects your family and friends and it can have a flow-on effect for the rest of your life.

"My best advice for anyone going for a ride, and for parents of young people, to avoid the risk of the most serious injury, be sure to wear a properly fitted helmet."