Bountiful police flagged a rise in electric-vehicle crashes this spring, and a new national study puts numbers behind the trend: e-scooter hospital admissions jumped 92% between 2021 and 2023.

The Utah Department of Public Safety says Northern Utah's crash frequency and severity track with those national figures, as Fox 13 first reported. The agency is now developing a mandatory safety course for electric scooter riders ages 8 to 15, set to take effect in May 2027.

Researchers at Howard University Hospital examined 10,151 trauma admissions and presented their findings Sept. 26 at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2026 in Washington, D.C. The annual count climbed from 2,311 admissions in 2021 to 4,430 in 2023.

"This is concerning to us because of the frequency of these crashes," Jason Mettmann with the Utah Highway Safety Office told Fox 13. "Severity has also gone up, but the sheer number of these crashes has spiked over the last five years."

Children face the steepest risks. A separate analysis of 2,185 young patients found nearly two-thirds of riders under 16 sustained major injuries, compared with about 54% of older teens. The average age of injured riders in that study was 12.8 years. Younger riders were hurt more seriously despite traveling at lower average speeds: 17.6 mph versus 20.3 mph for older patients.

Only 12.1% of all hospitalized riders had documented helmet use. Researchers found helmeted riders had lower odds of needing intensive care.

Across all age groups, more than 16.2% of patients required ICU admission. Another 11.3% needed surgery.

In an April 2026 city newsletter, the Bountiful Police Department reported officers had observed multiple accidents involving electric vehicles, underage riders operating electric motorcycles, helmet violations for riders under 21 and unsafe riding on sidewalks, roads and trails.

The concern predates the national study. At an October 2025 work session, Bountiful Police Chief Ed Biehler told the City Council that e-bike and e-motorcycle use among young people was creating growing enforcement challenges. Biehler noted Bountiful had not experienced a serious e-bike accident at that time, but Farmington and Riverton had recorded fatalities.

Kaysville student Isabelle Savage, who attends Centennial Junior High School, won the Utah state Civics Bee championship with a presentation on e-scooter and e-bike safety, the Davis Journal reported Sept. 8. She chose the topic after a friend's cousin died in an e-bike accident in the Davis County area.

The national studies have not yet undergone peer review. No details on the Utah DPS course curriculum, enrollment process or cost have been publicly announced.

Utah officials are encouraging all riders to wear helmets, learn safe operating practices and follow traffic laws. The mandatory course for riders ages 8 to 15 takes effect in May 2027.