Taking a ride on an electronic scooter soon? Wear your helmet! According to a recent study published in JAMA Surgery, not wearing headgear or taking other precautions while riding is increasingly sending young people to the hospital — leading to more than 40,000 broken bones, head wounds and other injuries.
Unfortunately, less than 5% of riders in the study were found to be wearing their helmet, leading to nearly one-third of patients having a head injury. That’s more than double the rate of head injuries experienced by bicyclists.
The rise is likely due to the increasingly popular adoption of scooters among young people in urban areas. Electronic scooter injuries for those aged 18-34 increased overall by 222%, and injuries sending riders to the hospital rose by 365% from 2014-2018, with the most dramatic increase in the last year. Close to two-thirds of those with scooter injuries were young men, and most were not wearing head protection.
“There was a high proportion of people with head injuries, which can be very dangerous,” said Dr. Benjamin Breyer, an associate professor of urology and chief of urology at UCSF partner hospital Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. “Altogether, the near doubling of e-scooter trauma from 2017 to 2018 indicates that there should be better rider safety measures and regulation.”
Right now there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of requirements for head gear while scootering in California, thanks to a change in the law that went into effect at the beginning of last year. Those over the age of 18 who want to ride without a helmet are free and legal to do so in California. Several other states also don’t require helmet-wearing while on a motorized scooter.
The laws may need an update after recent revelations, but in the meantime, perhaps the scooter companies themselves can help ensure safety precautions. We reached out to several electronic scooter companies and only heard back from a few about this issue. Lime tells TechCrunch it is committed to safety by encouraging users to wear a helmet, offering discounts to buy one and giving away more than 250,000 as part of a campaign. Bird and others also encourage helmet-wearing on their site, and some companies offer helmets for rent at another location.
But the promise of scooters is their convenience. You don’t have to carry anything. You just click on the app and hop on your ride. It’s too easy to just hop on a scooter without prior planning or helmet in tow.
So what’s the solution? Rider responsibility at this point. You’re free to take your chances but, though inconvenient, wearing your helmet on that scooter ride could prevent a serious accident.
“It’s been shown that helmet use is associated with a lower risk of head injury,” said first author Nikan K. Namiri, a medical student at the UCSF School of Medicine. “We strongly believe that helmets should be worn, and e-scooter manufacturers should encourage helmet use by making them more easily accessible.”
FAQs
Hospitalizations for scooter injuries nearly tripled in the U.S. between 2016 and 2020, UCLA-led research finds. UCLA-led research finds that scooter injuries nearly tripled across the U.S. from 2016 to 2020, with a concurrent increase in severe injuries requiring orthopedic and plastic surgery over the same period.
How many injuries are caused by electric scooters? ›
Overall, injuries from e-scooters, e-bikes and other micromobility devices were estimated to account for 360,800 ER visits from 2017 to 2022, a major impact on our health system.
Should I wear a helmet with an electric scooter? ›
As we mentioned, most states require that e scooter riders wear helmets, or at least riders under a certain age. We recommend that all riders, regardless of age or geographical location, wear helmets (see an excellent helmet guide here).
What are the statistics on electric scooters? ›
The result: 15 percent of the population aged 16 and over currently use e-scooters. Of these, 45 percent own their own, while 55 percent rent electric micro vehicles from sharing services such as Lime, Tier, Voi and co.
How many people have died on a scooter? ›
New DfT data around e-scooters also shows a rise in fatalities, with 1,402 collisions involving e-scooters, compared to 1,352 in 2021. There were 12 deaths in collisions involving e-scooters, 11 of whom were e-scooter riders, compared to 10 in 2021.
How many accidents are caused by ebikes? ›
A recent report from the National Transportation Safety Board counted 53 deaths associated with e-bike accidents from 2017 to 2022.
Are electric scooters safe to ride? ›
Always make sure to wear a helmet when using an e-scooter, even if advertisem*nts do not show riders wearing them. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study showing that there are about 14 injuries per 100,000 trips on motorized scooters. Some of these injuries were severe.
Do you need a helmet for scooters? ›
You must wear a helmet with the straps fastened when riding an e-scooter, e-skateboard, or similar devices. This can be an approved bicycle helmet or a motorcycle helmet.
Do you wear a helmet while riding a scooter? ›
Given that some electric scooters can reach speeds of up to 25 mph (40 km/h), falling off or crashing into another vehicle or obstacle without a helmet could result in serious injury. While helmets may not be the most fashionable of accessories, they provide levels of protection that should never be taken for granted.
Are e-scooters legal in the USA? ›
In short, electric scooters ARE legal to ride in the USA thanks to a federal law that covers two and three-wheeled motorized vehicles.
During weekdays, the average injury rate was 3.27 injuries per day, with the majority of injuries occurring during the daytime hours (06:00–18:00). The injury rate was lower during the weekends, with an average of 2.75 injuries per day (Figure 2). E-scooter-related injuries by month.
How common are scooter injuries? ›
Out of nearly 93,000 patients hospitalized in the sample, about 6,100 resulted from scooter injuries, but injury severity was skewed toward the scooter users. Scooter-related injuries led to major operative interventions 56% of the time, compared to 48% for bike-related injuries.
What is the most common injury on a scooter? ›
Head Injuries Are Common
Head injuries are the most common injuries in patients with scooter-related trauma. In all patients presenting to the ED with standing motorized scooter injuries, nearly 30% of them were diagnosed with head and neck trauma [15].
What are the types of injuries from e scooters? ›
In addition to head injuries, some of the other common kinds of electric scooter accident injuries include:
- Road rash.
- Shin fractures.
- Ankle fractures.
- Jaw fractures.
