Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Feb 26;118(8):117-121.
doi: 10.3238/arztebl.m2021.0019.

Accident Mechanisms and Injury Patterns in E-Scooter Users–A Retrospective Analysis and Comparison With Cyclists

Holger Kleinertz  1 , Dimitris Ntalos, Fabian Hennes, Jakob V Nüchtern, Karl-Heinz Frosch, Darius M Thiesen
Affiliations

Accident Mechanisms and Injury Patterns in E-Scooter Users–A Retrospective Analysis and Comparison With Cyclists

Holger Kleinertz et al. Dtsch Arztebl Int. .

Abstract

Background: E-scooter sharing systems were initiated in Hamburg in June 2019. The number of persons injured in Hamburg in e-scooter accidents rose thereafter. The goal of this study was to determine the typical accident mechanisms and injury patterns after e-scooter accidents in Germany, and to compare these with bicycle accidents.

Methods: In a retrospective study, accidents with e-scooters and bicycles that occurred from June 2019 to June 2020 were registered and analyzed with respect to demography, accident mechanisms, diagnostics, patterns of injury, emergency medical care, operations, and inpatient hospitalizations.

Results: 89 persons sustained e-scooter accidents (mean age 33.9 years, standard deviation [SD] 14 years); 435 persons who sustained bicycle accidents (mean age 42.5 years, SD 17 years) served as a comparison group. E-scooter accidents more commonly occurred at night (37% versus 14%), and 28% of the persons who sustained them were under the influence of alcohol (cyclists: 6%). 54% of the injured e-scooter riders suffered trauma to the head or face; 14% had a severe head injury and 16% had a severe facial injury. Fractures of the upper limbs were more common than fractures of the lower limbs (18% versus 6%). On initial assessment in the emergency room, injured cyclists were more frequently classified as needing immediate treatment than injured e-scooter riders (7% versus 1%).

Conclusion: The head, face, and upper limbs are the most commonly affected parts of the body in e-scooter accidents. Compared to bicycle accidents, e-scooter accidents more commonly occur on weekends and in association with alcohol. From a medical point of view, abstaining from alcohol consumption and wearing a helmet when using an e-scooter is strongly recommended.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Aizpuru M, Farley KX, Rojas JC, Crawford RS, Moore TJ, Wagner ER. Motorized scooter injuries in the era of scooter-shares: a review of the national electronic surveillance system. Am J Emerg Med. 2019;37:1133–1138. - PubMed
    1. Namiri NK, Lui H, Tangney T, Allen IE, Cohen AJ, Breyer BN. Electric scooter injuries and hospital admissions in the United States, 2014-2018. JAMA Surg. 2020;155:357–359. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Trivedi TK, Liu C, Antonio ALM, et al. Injuries associated with standing electric scooter use. JAMA Netw open. 2019;2 e187381. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Blomberg SNF, Rosenkrantz OCM, Lippert F, Collatz Christensen H. Injury from electric scooters in Copenhagen: a retrospective cohort study. BMJ Open. 2019;9 e033988. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Störmann P, Klug A, Nau C, et al. Characteristics and injury patterns in electric-scooter related accidents - a prospective two-center report from Germany. J Clin Med. 2020;9 - PMC - PubMed