Scooter-related injuries soaring, data shows

The number of electric scooter-related injuries has jumped nationwide over a recent five-year period, according to the results of a recent study.

Looking at 2016-2020 data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s National Inpatient Sample, researchers compared trends and outcomes for scooter- and bicycle-related injuries among nearly 93,000 patients who were hospitalized for their injuries. Overall, about 6,100 (6.6%) of those patients had scooter-related injuries.

The researchers found that scooter-related injuries that required hospitalization nearly tripled. Compared with injured bicyclists, the patients injured while on a scooter were more likely to suffer long bone fractures and paralysis, though both groups had similar odds of suffering a traumatic brain injury.

Other findings:

• 27% of the injured scooter riders were younger than 18, compared with 16% of the injured bicyclists.
• The scooter-related injuries led to more major operations compared with the bicycling-related injuries (56% vs. 48%).

“Considering the rise in the number of hospitalizations and major operations for scooter-related injuries, it’s crucial to elevate safety standards for riders,” said lead study author Nam Yong Cho, a research associate at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Laboratories. “Advocating for improved infrastructure, including enforced speed limits and dedicated lanes, is also vital to minimize risks for vehicles, scooter riders and pedestrians alike.”

The study was published online in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.