Abstract
Introduction
The introduction of scooter-share programs across the United States has led to an
increased incidence of electronic scooter (e-scooter) injuries presenting to emergency
departments (EDs). As legislation begins to push scooters from the sidewalk to the
street, injuries resulting from collisions between e-scooters and motor vehicles are
an important, but poorly characterized consideration. This study leverages data from
a national injury surveillance system to characterize e-scooter versus motor vehicle
collisions resulting in ED presentation.
Methods
This study utilizes data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS).
NEISS was queried for e-scooter-related injuries from January 1st, 2015 through December
31st, 2019. Injuries were characterized as motor vehicle-related (MV-involved) or
non-motor-vehicle-related (MV-uninvolved) based on a manual review by the study investigators.
Weighted tabular analyses were used to characterize both types of e-scooter injuries
across demographic, diagnostic, and event-related factors.
Results
Over the study period an estimated 60,554 (95% CI: 37,525-84,594) injuries were treated
in US EDs. Approximately 19% of these injuries involved motor vehicles. Those sustaining
MV-involved injuries were significantly younger (p = 0.01), with a higher proportion of males injured (p = 0.01). Additionally, when
compared to MV-uninvolved injuries, a significantly higher proportion of those with
MV-involved injuries were admitted to the hospital for treatment (8.8% vs. 14.6%,
p < 0.01). MV-involved injuries occurred primarily in the street (96.3%), while MV-uninvolved
injuries were split across streets (44.0%), at one's home (~20%), and on public property
(~20%) (p < 0.01).
Conclusions
Electric scooter injuries involving a motor vehicle differed from those that did not
across several key categories. As e-scooters and motor vehicles start to share the
road more frequently, greater consideration should be made regarding how these two
modes of transportation interact with each other. The promotion of thoughtful e-scooter
legislation and infrastructure changes could help promote safer travel.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: February 26, 2022
Accepted:
February 1,
2022
Received in revised form:
January 25,
2022
Received:
November 4,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc.
