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A unique epidemiological study, conducted by Austin Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that among wounded people in Austin while driving scooters without a dock, nearly half had sustained serious injuries and 15% had evidence suggesting trauma. cerebral lesion – brain-damage.
The results of the study were announced at a press conference on May 2.
"I think this data will help inform future thinking," Robert Spillar, director of the city's transportation department, said at the event, adding that the findings of the study could influence policies and practices. transit planning. "Clearly [these devices]are part of our future in mobility. "
Researchers identified incidents of injury in the city of Austin from September 5 to November 30, using Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services incident reports and syndromic surveillance data from the Austin-Travis County emergency of nine hospitals in the region.
Syndromic surveillance is used for early detection of epidemics, according to the CDC.
Of the 271 potential cases identified during the study period, 192 were confirmed as having been injured by a dockless scooter. The researchers interviewed 125 people and also reviewed medical records and EMS reports.
The median age of injured riders was 29 years old. Nearly two-thirds of the identified Whites and 60% of the cyclists lived in Austin at the time of their injury.
Nearly half of the injuries occurred in downtown or at the University of Texas, on the campus of Austin, where the traffic is most concentrated.
Of the injured runners, almost half – 80 out of 190 – suffered a serious injury, including fractures; nerve, tendon or ligamentous lesions; spend more than 48 hours in the hospital; severe bleeding or damaged organs.
In addition, the study found that almost half of the patients had been injured in the head. Less than 1% of runners wore a helmet at the time of injury.
A scooter-related death was reported in the city of Austin, although it occurred after the end of the study period. On February 2, at 1 am, a 21-year-old cyclist riding the wrong way on I-35 was hit by a car, police reports said.
During the period under study, 936 110 scooter trips were recorded in the city of Austin. The researchers found that there were 20 injuries per 100,000 scooter trips.
The researchers concluded that the study "probably underestimates the prevalence of electric scooter injuries" because it only included injured runners who sought medical attention in an area emergency department.
On the other hand, the riders who were investigated "would suffer more serious injuries than injured motorcyclists whose wounds did not require care from an emergency service of the same". hospital or an EMS, "according to the study.
Dock-free vehicles, including electric scooters, arrived in Austin in April 2018. Since then, their use has exploded, even as the city of Austin suspended the licensing of new operators and the members of the The Council continued to refine the regulations concerning these modes of transport.
In March, largely thanks to the South By Southwest conference, the city recorded a new monthly record for dockless mobility: 740,476 people, 93% of whom were scooters. Bikes without berths accounted for 51,205 trips.
Last month, 513,060 trips were recorded, or 10 times more than in April 2018, the year of the launch of mobility without docking station in Austin.
At the Capitol, state legislators are considering regulating scooters, including banning scooter users from driving on sidewalks and imposing a minimum age of 16 years. Senate Bill 549 was passed on May 1st. Bill 4499 was referred to the transport committee on March 26.
At the same time, the Austin City Council is expected to vote on applicable rules for wharfless mobility, including the creation of scooter-free "downhill" areas and the requirement for cyclists to respect the rules of the road. , especially avoiding the use of mobile devices – at the end of March.
However, council members and city staff decided that they needed more time to arrange the ordinance with the community.
A new vote is scheduled for May 23rd.
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