Serious scooter injuries have tripled in four years

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 10, 2024 (HealthDay News) — When you’re looking for a cheap, easy way to get around town, which is safer, a scooter or a bicycle?

A nationwide look at injuries related to both suggests that bicycling may be the safest route.

UCLA researchers report that scooter injuries nearly tripled in the US between 2016 and 2020, many of them severe enough to require orthopedic and plastic surgery. The cost of treating those injuries has increased fivefold, underscoring their financial strain on the health care system.

“Considering the increase in hospitalizations and major operations for skateboard-related injuries, it is crucial to raise safety standards for riders,” lead author Nam Yong Cho, a junior, said in a news release. year of medicine from UCLA. “Advocating for better infrastructure, including mandatory speed limits and dedicated lanes, is also important to reduce risks to vehicles, scooter riders and pedestrians.”

In a study published Jan. 9 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, researchers used a federal government database to compare trends and outcomes of injuries related to skateboards and scooter bikes. The database does not distinguish between electric and non-electric skateboards.

In total, about 93,000 patients were hospitalized for injuries during the study period (about 6,100 from skateboards).

About 27% of scooter users and 16% of cyclists were under 18 years of age.

Injuries increased during the winter months, with scooter injuries leading to more major surgery than cycling injuries (56% vs. 48%). These included orthopedic surgery (89 vs. 48%); plastic surgery (85% vs. 85%); and core operations (5% vs. 4%).

Scooter riders were more likely to suffer long bone fractures and paralysis than cyclists, but both groups had similar risk of traumatic brain injuries, the study found.

And those injuries were costly.

The annual cost of treating scooter-related injuries increased from approximately $6.6 million in 2016 to $35.5 million in 2020. Bicycle injury costs also increased from $307 million to $434 million.

The researchers noted that the database had little information on helmet use, whether there were multiple riders or substance use. They failed to consider the role of objects, other vehicles, terrain, speed, time of day and distance travelled.

Despite these limitations, researchers noted an increase in patient injuries, hospitalizations, and associated financial burden.

“Progressive escalation of injury severity in scooter-related incidents requires surgical intervention and manifests in a significant proportion of patients with potentially long-term (health problems),” they wrote. “Our findings are a call to action to empower healthcare leaders to prevent skateboard-related injuries and promote greater safety in the community.”

More information

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has more information about bicycle safety.

Source: UCLA Health Sciences, news release, January 9, 2023