The Dangers Of E-Scooters

electric-scooter-escooter-kids-accident.jpg

Kick scooters have been around for a long time – at least 100 years – entertaining kids eager to get outside and hit the streets. The early, homemade, versions were crafted by attaching roller skate wheel sets to a board.

The next generation of scooters is here, they are electric, mobilized, and they’re taking the world by storm.

Electric scooters, most commonly referred to as “e-scooters,” have become an increasingly popular form of transportation. In fact, Lime, a San Francisco-based company, reported that 11.5 million rides had been taken after just the first 14 months in business. Lime, as well as another e-scooter company Bird, each experienced great success last year after they placed e-scooters on city streets to be rented by passersby. Lime and Bird are major competitors and currently operate in at least 100 cities across the globe.

E-scooters are extremely popular among consumers for several reasons including financial feasibility and convenience. E-scooters range in price from a couple hundred dollars for a basic model up to $1,000 or greater for the faster, more powerful models.

Unfortunately, there are risks associated with e-scooter use.

Two scooter-related deaths were reported in a recent CNN article. One man was riding an e-scooter when he was hit by an SUV in Washington, D.C. The man was dragged over a dozen yards and ultimately pinned under the vehicle. Another man was killed after he fell off a scooter in Dallas, Texas.

From 2017 to 2018, one Salt Lake City hospital reported a 161 percent increase in scooter-related injuries. Believe it or not, e-scooters present a multitude of dangers, including but not limited to:

  • Riders can fall off of scooters when hitting a bump
  • Riders can be hit by inattentive drivers
  • Pedestrians can be hit by novice scooter riders, among others
  • E-scooters can fail or malfunction

Results of e-scooter incidents can be catastrophic. Many people have reported serious head and brain injuries as the result of an e-scooter accident. Additionally, riders have suffered bone fractures, facial lacerations, elbow and wrist injuries, and road rash.

As e-scooter popularity and demand continue to grow, e-scooter accidents will likely continue to similarly increase. With Christmas around the corner, chances are, thousands of kids across the United States be presented with an e-scooter under the tree.