Alarming Rise in E-scooter Injuries Calls for Regulatory Measures: Research

E-scooters tend to be the common/preferred mode of commuting in the urban landscape. They come in handy to commute easily in heavily crowded places. But a  new study by UCSF found that there has been a visible spike in the e-scooter injuries in the past four years. The e-scooter-related injuries in the US rose to a whopping 222 percent between 2014 and 2018 with 39,000 injuring themselves. Also, during the same period, there was a 365 percent rise in the hospital admissions with 3,300 hospital admissions.

UCSF study gives critical insights related to e-Scooter Injuries

e-scooters have become a common scenario in the busiest urban cities and suburbs. They are the preferred modes of transport as e-scooters help to ward off traffic congestion. But the new study by UCSF did highlight the regulatory measures one needs to take before riding e-bikes. Among the e-scooter injuries, fractures, dislocations, and head injuries are significant injuries in people appearing in trauma centers. Out of the three injury types, head trauma seems to take the lion’s share with a third of the e-scooter injuries. The e-scooter injuries are twice the rate of head injuries to bicyclists.

In the current study, the UCSF took the data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System on national estimate of injuries related to emergency visits. Further, the study indicated a rise in the rate of scooter incidents between 2014 and 2018. The rate spiked from 6 per 1,00,000 people in 2014 to 19 per 1,00,000 people in 2018. Among the injuries, fractures contributed 27 percent, concussions and abrasions accounted for 23 percent and lacerations accounted for 14 percent. In the study, the researchers excluded unclear scooter types and the e-scooter related trauma may be underestimated.

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Research Calls for Better Safety Measures and Regulation

The Research highlights the importance of the adoption of proper safety measures by the e-scooter riders. In the majority of the cases, the riders did not wear proper protective gear. The e-scooter companies in this regard have to organise safety campaigns educating the e-scooter riders. Similar to its two-wheeler counterparts, the e-bike riders must take due care while commuting to minimise the incidence of e-scooter related injuries.

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