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. 2022 Aug 2;58(8):1033.
doi: 10.3390/medicina58081033.

Is the Use of Segways or E-Scooters in Urban Areas a Potential Health Risk? A Comparison of Trauma Consequences

Kai Hoffeld  1   2 , Olivia Mair  1 , Markus Wurm  1 , Philipp Zehnder  1 , Dominik Pförringer  1 , Peter Biberthaler  1 , Chlodwig Kirchhoff  1 , Michael Zyskowski  1
Affiliations

Is the Use of Segways or E-Scooters in Urban Areas a Potential Health Risk? A Comparison of Trauma Consequences

Kai Hoffeld et al. Medicina (Kaunas). .

Abstract

Background and objectives: Electromobility has become increasingly popular. In 2001, Segway personal transporters (Segway) were established for tourists, and e-scooters have been in use since their approval in 2019. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the types of injuries directly related to the use of Segways and e-scooters, respectively, in a German city and to phrase potential safety advice. Materials and Methods: All patients presenting to our emergency department after Segway incidents were retrospectively analyzed and compared with the prospectively collected cohort of patients following e-scooter incidents. Presented injuries were analyzed by body region and injury severity score (ISS). Epidemiological data were collected. Results: Overall, 171 patients were enrolled. The Segway group included 56 patients (mean age 48 years), and the e-scooter group consisted of 115 patients (mean age 33.9 years). Head injuries (HI) occurred in 34% in the Segway group compared to 52% in the e-scooter group. The ISS was approximately equal for both groups (mean ISS Segway group: 6.9/e-scooter group: 5.6). Conclusions: Since the e-scooter group presented a high number of HI along with a higher likelihood and greater severity of HI, mandatory use of helmets is suggested.

Keywords: Segway; e-scooter; electromobility; injury patterns; traffic incidents; traffic safety.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Correlation of ISS (y-axis) and age (x-axis) in non-alcoholized patients: the patients’ age is associated with more severe injury patterns.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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