From cars to bicycles to scooters, electric vehicles are more popular than ever. Not only have they become more widely available in recent years, but more people seem to be realizing, “No, this is actually the only thing I have.” one planet And we need to start acting like that. ” Electric bikes and scooters can also be a lot of fun, but they are not without risks. Electric scooter-related injuries for children under 15 more than doubled from 2023 to 2024, according to a new report from ERideHero.
ERideHero collected data on electric scooter injuries from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s NEISS database. The NEISS database collects data on consumer product-related injuries from a representative sample of more than 100 U.S. ER departments, allowing us to estimate estimates. Global data on these injuries was compiled from reliable news sources.
There was an overall upward trend in injuries across all age groups after 2020, but at a much slower rate from 2020 to 2023. From 2023 to 2024, injuries increased sharply from 64,312 to 115,713. Injuries among riders under 15 more than doubled, from 8,159 to 17,641. Most of these injuries are to the head (approximately 21,000) and face (more than 15,000), highlighting the critical importance of always wearing a helmet when riding.
Most electric scooters have a top speed of 15 to 25 miles per hour. Although it may not be so sound Although fast, keep in mind that Disney World’s Space Mountain only reaches speeds of about 44 mph at its fastest. Considering that electric scooters can go from zero to double-digit speeds in a matter of seconds, this means that children are not always able to position themselves properly and are at risk of injury. Additionally, even if you manage to handle that transition, falling at that speed, losing control, or hitting something can cause significant damage.
Emergency rooms are also noticing an increase in injuries, and doctors are warning on social media about the dangers of e-scooters and e-bikes. Based on our experience in pediatric trauma units and emergency rooms, many people say that one of the things they don’t want their children to do is ride an electric bike or scooter.
“I feel like every trauma is related to[e-bikes and e-scooters],” TikTok’s favorite pediatric ER doctor, Dr. Beach Gem, said in a video posted last month. “It’s basically a motorcycle that carries kids without a license…it’s very bad.”
