New Study Shows Why We Need E-Scooter Safety Regulations

Electric scooters [e-scooters] are a fun and convenient mode of transportation and in many cities you can find one parked on almost any corner. All you have to do is pay, jump on and go. And some studies have suggested that they may decrease traffic congestion. However, anyone that has seen the e-scooter craze close-up knows that there are real safety concerns about their use.

Many folks are using them with no training and limited instruction, and some cities and towns don't even have helmet laws which cover e-scooters. The e-scooter companies often require riders to wear safety gear including helmets but don't include them with the scooter and few riders carry helmets with them. Throw in some alcohol, novice riders, busy city streets and crowded sidewalks and you have a recipe for disaster. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Surgery documents the results.

Their research found that between 2014 and 2018, the number of e-scooter-related injuries increased from about 4,500 to nearly 15,000.

Science News: Using U.S. emergency room reports of e-scooter injuries, scientists estimate there were 19 injuries per 100,000 people in 2018, compared with just 6 injuries per 100,000 in 2014. That’s a 222 percent jump in four years, scientists report January 8 in JAMA Surgery.

About a third of the injuries in 2018 were to the head or the legs. The researchers said they were especially concerned with the head trauma injuries that can be much more severe and more difficult to recover from. In their report, the researchers suggest that cities need to beef up their rider safety regulations.

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By: Don Lam & Curated Content