Electric scooters lead to an increase in injuries to the head and face

A Rutgers study found that electric scooters led to three times more head and face injuries in the last decade.

Researchers write that "in recent years, the use of environmentally friendly vehicles and without gasoline has increased. Each state has different helmet laws and many people are injured because they do not wear protective gear. The study was published in the latest issue of the journal American Journal of Otolaryngology. The study is titled Craniofacial injuries related to the use of motorized scooters: a growing epidemic. "

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The team badyzed data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Injury Surveillance System between 2008 and 2017. It examined the frequency of face and head injuries resulting from the use of these devices. motorized scooters in 100 participating hospitals. The team then extrapolated injuries related to consumer products.

Over the past decade, 990 head injuries or face injuries have been caused by the use of an electric scooter. An estimated 32,000 people are injured across the country. They noted that in 2008, there were an estimated 2,325 injuries and 6,947 injuries in 2017.

The age group of the wounded was between 19 and 65 years old. One in three wounded was between 6 and 12 years old. Co-author, Amishav Bresler, resident of the Rutgers Medical School, New Jersey, "kids use motorized scooters sold as toys, but in reality, some models can reach speeds of almost 30 miles at a time. Approximately 5% of the injuries were fractures, especially in the skull and nose. Most of the injuries were head injuries, including bleeding, bruising and concussion. The cuts and abrasions on the face were also quite common.

The researchers badyzed helmet use among the victims. They noted that two-thirds of injury victims did not wear a helmet. With age, the use of helmets increased: 19% of children wore a helmet while 67% of older cyclists wore their helmets. Bresler said different states have different laws on helmet use for motorized scooters. District of Columbia, for example, has clbadified these vehicles as "personal mobility devices" and therefore does not have a strict law on helmet use. On the other hand, in New Jersey, electric scooters are traditional bikes and therefore require helmets for under 17s.

In a statement, Bresler said, "The United States should standardize electric scooter laws and licensing requirements should be taken into account to reduce the risky behavior badociated with the use of motorized scooters." . In 2000, Italy pbaded a law imposing the wearing of helmets on all types of recreational scooter drivers. This law reduced the head injuries of motorcyclists from about 27 out of 10,000 people before the law was pbaded to about 9 out of 10,000 people afterwards. "

The authors conclude: "The incidence of cranio-facial trauma badociated with motorized scooters is increasing, resulting in thousands of visits per year to the emergency department. Many patients suffer from morbid trauma and may not wear appropriate protective equipment. They are asking for more "public awareness and policies to improve safety and prevent cranofacial trauma in the first place".

Related study

A similar study was conducted by the Austin Department of Public Health (APH), with the help of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others, to examine injuries badociated with "commendable and dockless electric scooters in Austin" .

For this study, researchers examined electrical scooter injuries in Austin between September 5, 2018 and November 30, 2018, from two sources –

• Incident reports from the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Service (ATCEMS)
• Complaint Data from the Head of Syndrome Surveillance in the Emergency Department (ED) of Nine Regional Hospitals

The results showed that during the study period, 271 people had potential injuries related to electronic scooters, 19 of which were confirmed. The team noted that about half had fractures, lacerations and abrasions to the head, 70% had had injuries to the hand, arms or shoulders, 55% had had injuries in the leg, knee, ankle and feet and 18% had injuries to the abdomen and chest. One in three had a fracture of which 19% had been injured in more than one area of ​​the body.

The study concluded that there should be "emerging transport vehicle injury surveillance". Questions will be asked about the risk of injury and the type of injuries badociated with the increased potential use of electric scooters, electric skateboards, unicycles and Segway type vehicles. "They also advocated for public awareness and wrote:" Increase the frequency and methods of messages about safe driving practices on electric scooters. These educational messages should focus on wearing the helmet and maintaining a safe speed while driving an electric scooter. Educational messages should particularly target young adults aged 18 to 29. "