Petra Stock
Children’s e-scooter injuries continue to rise in the United States, with a 71% increase between 2020 and 2021.
Head injuries remain the most common, according to updated analysis of national data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System presented at the American Academy of Paediatrics conference, in Washington DC in the US.
About two-thirds of head injuries occurred when the rider was not wearing a helmet (according to data where helmet use was reported).
“As more and more children and adolescents turn to using electric scooters, it is critical that physicians, policymakers, and researchers work together to develop safe riding practices and proper infrastructure,” says Radhika Gupta from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, an author of the study.
The data collated from more than 100 hospitals across the US shows there were 5012 e-scooter injuries in 2020, compared to 8545 in 2021.
The majority of injuries reported involved white males, aged 16 to 18.
The new data show child e-scooter injuries and hospitalisations continue to climb in the US, building on previous analysis between 2011 to 2020 using the same database.
With electric scooters an important part of the transport system, the authors say the new analysis highlights the importance of public safety measures such as dedicated lanes, and helmet use.
Head injuries were also common in Australia, according to data on e-scooter emergency presentations and hospital admissions from Queensland and Victoria. Similar to the US statistics, the majority of e-scooter injuries in Australia involve males.
Do electric car batteries explode? Will an electric car ruin my weekend? Get the facts on electric cars. Listen now.