E-Bike, Scooter Injury Rates Increased in Recent Years

TUESDAY, Oct. 1, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of severe injuries from powered micromobility devices increased from 2019 to 2022, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in the American Journal of Public Health.

Kathryn G. Burford, Ph.D., from Columbia University in New York City, and colleagues described the national burden of injuries associated with e-bikes, bicycles, hoverboards, and powered scooters (micromobility devices) in the United States. Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (2019 to 2022) were used to identify roughly 1.9 million estimated injuries associated with micromobility devices.

The researchers found that the population-based rates of e-bike and powered scooter injuries increased by 293.0 percent and 88.0 percent, respectively, during the study period. Powered scooter injuries had the highest proportion for alcohol use (9.0 percent), while e-bike injuries had the highest proportion for motor vehicle involvement (35.4 percent). Internal injuries were significantly more likely among e-bike users versus hoverboard and bicycle users, but fractures and concussions were significantly more likely among hoverboard users compared with all other devices. When noted, helmet usage was higher among e-bike injuries (43.8 percent) versus powered scooter (34.8 percent) and hoverboard (30.3 percent) injuries, but usage was lower than that seen with bicycle injuries (48.7 percent).

"Our results underscore the urgent need to improve micromobility injury surveillance and to identify strategies for cities to improve users' safety so that micromobility can be a safe, sustainable, equitable, and healthy option for transportation," Burford said in a statement.

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