P3A284: Pediatric Injuries Associated with Riding Electric Scooters from 2020 to 2021

Background: Shared micromobility options are rapidly expanding as a cost-effective, eco-friendly mode of transportation. Standing electric scooters (e-scooters) are an important part of this mobility segment and their use has garnered extensive attention by legislative officials who are concerned about e-scooter safety. As many of these scooters are sized and powered for adults, the injury risk associated with use of e-scooters in the pediatric population has not been investigated in recent years since its rapid uptake. Injuries associated with e-scooters have recently been added to many pediatric databases and thus the goal of this study was to examine recent trends in the national health burden of injuries associated with riding e-scooters in the pediatric population.

Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database (NEISS) was queried to identify injuries associated with electric scooter use in patients less than or equal to 18 years old from 2020 to 2021. National estimates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using parameters provided by the NEISS database. T-tests were subsequently performed to determine significance in trends observed over the period.

Results: Over the 2-year study period, there were estimated to be 13,557 e-scooter related injuries that presented to U.S. Emergency Departments. The number of injuries increased 71% from 2020 (n=5,012+/-736) [Estimate, Standard Error] to 2021 (n=8,545+/-1,334, p< 0.01) (Table 1, Figure 1). Of these patients, a majority were male (64.3%+/-2.2%), white (43.0%+/-3.0%), and aged 16 to 18 years old (27.3%+/-3.4%). A large portion of these injuries occurred in the spring (31.6%+/-2.5%) and the summer (29.9%+/-3.3%). The most common primary diagnosis was fracture (32.1%+/-2.5%) followed by contusion (18.7%+/-2.4%), and the most injured body part was head (17.8%+/-2.1%) followed by face (14.3%+/-2.2%). In cases where helmet use was reported, only 32.4% reported helmet use during the injury. Among patients with head injuries who reported on helmet use, 66.8% were not wearing a helmet at the time of injury (p < 0.01). Additionally, 14.9% (n=2,027) of cases mentioned motor vehicle involvement, and 9.8% of cases (n=1,334) mentioned hitting obstacles such as uneven ground/potholes.

Conclusion: The national burden of injuries associated with riding e-scooters in the pediatric population increased significantly from 2020 to 2021. The limited helmet usage and the finding that the head is the most injured body part, provides an opportunity to develop and publicize safe riding practices for e-scooters among the pediatric population. Additionally, motor vehicle and obstacle involvement in injuries highlights the importance of implementing public safety measures such as creating bicycle and scooter lanes in suburban and urban areas, ensuring even pavement in riding areas, and educating motor vehicle drivers on how to maintain safe distances from e-scooter riders.