Emergency department impact following the introduction of an electric scooter sharing service

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to describe the impact on the single ED serving Dunedin, New Zealand, following the introduction of an electricscooter (e-scooter) sharing service. Methods: A retrospective cohort study comparing the number of vehicle related injuries during identical 6-week periods in 2018 and 2019 was performed. A descriptive analysis of the subset of e-scooter related presentations was undertaken. Results: A total of 172 and 228 vehicle related injury presentations were identified in samples from 2018 and 2019, respectively. During the 2018 study period zero e-scooter related ED presentations were identified. In 2019 there were 56 e-scooter related ED presentations (P-value <0.001) representing 54 events. There were 52 car, 21 motorbike and 62 bicycle related presentations during the same 2019 time period. Further descriptive analysis showed the majority of e-scooter presentations were for minor injury. Fractures or dislocations were found in 17 (32%) patients and 14 (26%) patients sustained a head injury, one of which was severe. Isolated minor musculoskeletal injuries were seen in 25 (46%) patients. On average one ED bed was occupied by an escooter patient for 2 h and 44 min each day during the 6-week study period in 2019. Conclusion:The introduction of an e-scooter sharing service resulted in a new injury hazard. Our study presents the number of e-scooter related ED presentations relative to other vehicles related injury visits and describes the injury patterns associated with e-scooter use which may inform future public policy.

Consumer acceptance of shared e-scooters for urban and short-distance mobility

“…Apart from e-scooters' impact on the transportation system, they have also raised discussions about safety concerns and injury risks (Badeau et al, 2019;Beck et al, 2019;Kobayashi et al, Consumer acceptance of shared e-scooters for urban and short-distance mobility 2019; Yang et al, 2020). Previous work reports that most e-scooter users having an accident were riding without wearing a helmet (Liew et al, 2020), and providers often promote e-scooters omitting protective gear (Allem and Majmundar, 2019).…”

Incidence and severity of electric scooter related injuries after introduction of an urban rental programme in Vienna: a retrospective multicentre study

“…) compared to those patients who underwent non-operative management (NOM) (2.9[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14], P = 0.007). Patients treated with OM tended to have increasing length of hospital stay compared to those with NOM (OM 11.0 days, NOM 3.0 days[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19], P = 0.177). Outpatient aftercare was significantly longer in patients who underwent OM compared to patients receiving NOM (OM 105.3 days, NOM 16.3 days [1-67], P = 0.006).…”

Unpowered Scooter-Related Injuries among Adolescents and Adults in the United States 2007-2017

“…The reason could be that the adolescents use them as a recreational activity and with less caution. Unpowered scooter riding has been reported to be a form of recreation in children and adolescents, but the incidence of injuries has steadily increased even with the introduction of newer versions of scooters [14].…”