E-scooter injuries among kids doubled in 2024, data shows
FILE - A teenage couple ride their rented Lime-S electric scooters in downtown Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
E-scooters and e-bikes in metropolitan cities are all the rage. They’re convenient, fairly affordable and claimed to be environmentally friendly compared to other forms of motorized transportation.
Despite their fun and accessible qualities, the number of hospitalizations caused by e-scooter and e-bike injuries increased nearly five times over between 2016 and 2024, according to Eridehero, a company that reviews electric transportation products.
Take a look at how injuries have skyrocketed over the past five years:
By the numbers:
E-scooter injuries by age group
E-scooter injuries involving children
Dig deeper:
E-scooter injuries, specifically, rose by 80% last year alone, according to Eridehero’s website.
While the rise in injuries makes e-scooters appear dangerous, it’s actually human error that leads to these incidents.
What they're saying:
"There’s no question that e-scooters are convenient, fun, and get you places faster," said engineering firm WSP’s research manager, Louise Malcolm. "But they’re also five times more likely than cycling to cause death or serious injury. That’s why it’s so important we get the safety settings right."
Eridehero’s study also found that head injuries were the most common among e-scooter users, followed by the face, knee, shoulder and wrist.
Along gender lines, males were far more prone to sustaining an injury while riding an e-scooter than females.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from a study conducted by Eridehero based on data from the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission's NEISS Database.