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

Abstract

United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported a 700% increase in Emergency Department (ED) visits for injuries attributed to unpowered scooter use from January through October 2000. Our objective is to investigate injuries associated with the use of unpowered scooters among adolescents from the age of >9 years to <20 years and adults >20 years in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance Study (NEISS) data set from 2007-2017. We analyzed unpowered scooter-related injuries in the NEISS data set using variables: SCOOTER, INJURED, AFTER, OFF, AT and IN; the product code for injuries related to unpowered scooters is 1329, and age ≥9 years and <99 years using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS). Structured Query Language (SQL) was used to access database and to analyze frequencies and proportions. There were 7985 unpowered scooter-related injuries found in the NEISS data set over the study period. Gender distribution: Males 4330 (54.23%), and Females 3655 (45.77%). Age distribution: 6283 (78.69%) >9-<20 years, while 1702 (21.31%) were >19-<99 years. Distribution by race: White 39.65%, Not Specified (NS) 38.94%, Black/African American 13.98% and Others (Asian, American Indians, Alaskan natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders) 7.43%. Body parts injured: head 16.19%, followed by face 8.49%, finger 8.30%, lower trunk 8.30%, ankle 5.60%, upper trunk 5.35%, internal injuries 0.99% and others 14.28%. Most of the injuries were mild: Treated and Discharged 89.80%, Hospitalized 7.68%, and Death in ED 0.05%. The locations of injuries were: Occurred at Home 43.

Turbans vs. Helmets: A Systematic Narrative Review of the Literature on Head Injuries and Impact Loci of Cranial Trauma in Several Recreational Outdoor Sports

“…Given the inherent stability of the small-wheel scooter design, small obstructions and uneven ground can result in a loss of control which causes the majority of accidents [41]. Most injuries resulted from falls forward or to the side, with head injuries being a major cause of severe trauma [42,43]. Reported trauma incidence incurred on push scooters ranged from 16.5% among adults to over 33% among children [42,43].…”

“…Most injuries resulted from falls forward or to the side, with head injuries being a major cause of severe trauma [42,43]. Reported trauma incidence incurred on push scooters ranged from 16.5% among adults to over 33% among children [42,43]. Riders of electric scooters had a higher incidence of head injuries, ranging from 36% to 42.7% [44,45].…”