By Pesach Benson • October 4, 2026
Jerusalem, 4 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Nine children were injured and treated at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center in a single day after sustaining riding-related injuries while using bicycles, electric bicycles, electric scooters and ride-on toys without helmets, the hospital and Beterem – Safe Kids Israel said Sunday.
One of the children, a 4-year-old boy, suffered a severe head injury while riding a ride-on toy with his 5-year-old brother. The boys were reportedly speeding when they collided with a utility pole.
After being stabilized in the trauma unit, the 4-year-old was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, where he is sedated and on a ventilator. His brother suffered a concussion and was discharged after treatment.
The other injured children, ages 11 to 17, sustained injuries to their heads, faces, limbs, eyes, chests and backs. Most were treated and discharged, while two were admitted for observation.
The hospital said additional children were treated in its Pediatric Emergency Department that day for riding-related injuries after not wearing helmets.
“Unfortunately, we frequently encounter injuries among children—some very severe—resulting from riding scooters, bicycles, and ride-on toys without helmets,” said Dr. Giora Weiser, director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at Shaare Zedek.
“The cluster of cases we received within a single day is deeply concerning and highly unusual,” he said. “I urge parents: insist that your children wear helmets, explain the dangers to them, and emphasize that there is no shame.”
According to Beterem, an Israeli nonprofit that promotes child safety, 1,077 children and adolescents were injured in riding-related incidents in 2025 and 2026. Electric bicycles accounted for 293 cases, or 27%; electric scooters accounted for 274 cases, or 25%; and standard bicycles accounted for 234 cases, or 22%. These were the three largest categories of riding-related injuries recorded by Beterem.
Teenagers ages 15 to 17 accounted for 354 cases, or 33% of the total, while children under 15 accounted for 53% of injuries involving electric bicycles and scooters.
“A helmet can save lives and prevent severe head injuries,” said Beterem CEO Orly Silvinger. “Make sure that children—and all family members—wear a helmet on every ride.”
