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
. 2024 Apr;94(4):572-579.
doi: 10.1111/ans.18814. Epub 2023 Dec 12.

The impact of electric scooters in Melbourne: data from a major trauma service

Jevan Cevik  1 , David Read  2   3 , Mark Putland  4   5 , Timothy Fazio  6   7 , Kellie Gumm  2 , Amrita Varma  1 , Roselyn Santos  2 , Anand Ramakrishnan  1   3
Affiliations

The impact of electric scooters in Melbourne: data from a major trauma service

Jevan Cevik et al. ANZ J Surg. 2024 Apr.

Abstract

Background: The proliferation of electric scooters globally has been associated with an increase in related injuries and consequent economic burden. This study aims to assess the injury patterns and the economic impact associated with electric scooter use in Melbourne, Australia.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using hospital and registry data from January 2022 to January 2023. Data collected included demographic details, alcohol and helmet use, injury type and severity, operative treatment provided, and direct medical costs. The economic impact (in AUD) of the patient's emergency presentation and hospital admission was calculated.

Results: During the study period, 256 electric scooter related injuries were recorded, comprising 247 riders and nine pedestrians. The majority of patients were males (69%) with a median age of 29.5 (15-78). Alcohol use was reported by 34% and helmet use by 33%. Injuries most commonly affected the upper limb (53%) and head (50%), with abrasions (75%) and fractures (48%) being the most common type of injury sustained. The total hospital cost was $1 911 062, and the median cost was $1321.66 per patient (IQR: $479.37-$5096.65).

Conclusion: Electric scooter usage, as observed through patient presentations to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, is associated with a considerable number of injuries, primarily among young males, and an ensuing substantial economic burden. The findings underscore the urgent need for improved safety measures to minimize electric scooter-related injuries and their clinical and economic repercussions.

Keywords: electric scooter; e‐scooter; hospital cost; injuries; surgery; trauma.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Haworth N, Schramm A, Twisk D. Comparing the risky behaviours of shared and private e‐scooter and bicycle riders in downtown Brisbane, Australia. Accid. Anal. Prev. 2021; 152: 105981.
    1. McNulty M, Look N, Strage K, Lauder A. Orthopaedic injuries after introduction of electric scooters to Denver, Colorado. J. Am. Acad. Orthop. Surg. 2022; 30: 897–902.
    1. Shichman I, Shaked O, Factor S, Weiss‐Meilik A, Khoury A. Emergency department electric scooter injuries after the introduction of shared e‐scooter services: a retrospective review of 3331 cases. World J. Emerg. Med. 2022; 13: 5–10.
    1. Badeau A, Carman C, Newman M, Steenblik J, Carlson M, Madsen T. Emergency department visits for electric scooter‐related injuries after introduction of an urban rental program. Am. J. Emerg. Med. 2019; 37: 1531–1533.
    1. Farley KX, Aizpuru M, Wilson JM et al. Estimated incidence of electric scooter injuries in the US from 2014 to 2019. JAMA Netw. Open 2020; 3: e2014500.

LinkOut - more resources