Electric scooter injuries among youth rose significantly from 2020 to 2021

Key takeaways:

• Among youth with head injuries, 66.8% were not wearing a helmet at the time of injury.
• Experts advocated for public safety strategies like driver safety education and ensuring even pavement.

WASHINGTON — There was a 71% increase in electric scooter injuries among youth aged 18 years and younger from 2020 to 2021, according to a study presented at the AAP National Conference & Exhibition.

According to Radhika Gupta, a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and Todd Lawrence, MD, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the use of electric scooters has grown over the last several years, “likely because it’s fast, it’s cost-efficient, it’s time-efficient, and it’s eco-friendly.”

However, the researchers observed an increasing number of children presenting with injuries sustained while riding the vehicles, which are typically powered and sized for adults.

“We wondered if this trend was consistent across the country,” they told Healio in a shared response via email.

Gupta and Lawrence found that electric scooter injuries among youth jumped from 5,012 in 2020 to 8,545 in 2021 after analyzing data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.

Of the patients in the 2-year period:

• 64.3% were boys;
• 43% were white; and
• 27.3% were aged 16 to 18 years.

Most injuries occurred in the spring (31.6%) and summer (29.9%).

Fractures were the most frequent diagnosis at 32.1%, followed by contusion at 18.7%. Meanwhile, the most frequent body injuries included the head (17.8%) and face (14.3%).

In cases in which helmet use was documented, just 32% of patients were wearing one during the injury. Additionally, 66.8% of patients with head injuries were not wearing a helmet at the time of injury.

Gupta and Lawrence also noted that 14.9% of cases mentioned motor vehicle involvement, whereas 9.8% involved hitting obstacles such as potholes or uneven ground.

The study’s findings add to research presented at last year’s meeting that found the proportion of adolescents and children requiring hospitalization after electric scooter incidents rose from 4.17% in 2011 to 12.92% in 2022.

“The limited helmet usage and finding that the head is the most injured body part provide an opportunity to develop and publicize safe riding practices for e-scooters among the pediatric population,” the researchers said. “Primary care physicians may be able to help encourage riding at lower speeds and wearing personal protective equipment like helmets, elbow pads and knee pads when riding.”

The importance of riding in designated areas “may also help decrease injuries from colliding with motor vehicles or hitting obstacles,” they said.

References:

• Electric scooter injuries increased more than 70% in youth age 18 and younger from 2020-2021. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1004615. Published Oct. 20, 2023. Accessed Oct. 20, 2023.
• Gupta R, Lawrence T. Pediatric injuries associated with riding electric scooters from 2020 to 2021. Presented at: AAP National Conference & Exhibition; Oct. 20-24, 2022; Washington, D.C.