Epidemiology, mechanisms and prevention of electric scooter-related injuries with particular emphasis on the pediatric population - a narrative literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2026.51.68991Keywords
Electric scooters, micromobility, injuries, trauma, Injury prevention, public healthAbstract
Background: Over the past decade, electric scooters have become a common element of urban micromobility, offering a convenient and environmentally friendly alternative to short-distance car travel. However, the rapid growth in the number of users has not been supported by parallel infrastructure development or consistent legal regulations, leading to a growing number of injuries related to their use. These incidents place a growing burden on healthcare systems, particularly emergency departments and trauma surgery.
Aim: The aim of the study was to review the current literature on epidemiology, accident mechanisms, types and locations of injuries, and strategies for preventing injuries related to the use of electric scooters, with particular emphasis on the pediatric population.
Materials and methods: A narrative literature review was conducted using the PubMed and Scopus databases. Studies on e-scooter-related injuries were analyzed, including epidemiological data, injury mechanisms, risk factors, anatomical injuries, and preventive measures.
Results: Available research indicates a rapid increase in the number of injuries associated with e-scooter use in various regions of the world. Young adults are the most injured group, but children and adolescents are at increased risk of serious injury. The predominant mechanism of injury is falls without the involvement of other road users. The most common injuries are head and facial injuries, as well as upper limb fractures. Failure to wear a helmet, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving at night, and excessive speed are the main risk factors.
Conclusions: Injuries related to e-scooter use constitute a significant and growing public health challenge. Effective prevention requires comprehensive measures encompassing legal regulations, user education, infrastructure improvements, and the implementation of technological solutions.
References
1. Trivedi TK, Liu C, Antonio ALM, et al. Injuries Associated With Standing Electric Scooter Use. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(1):e187381. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.7381
2. Bekhit MNZ, Le Fevre J, Bergin CJ. Regional healthcare costs and burden of injury associated with electric scooters. Injury. 2020;51(2):271-277. doi:10.1016/j.injury.2019.10.026
3. 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(4):357-359. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2019.5423
4. Mitchell G, Tsao H, Randell T, Marks J, Mackay P. Impact of electric scooters to a tertiary emergency department: 8-week review after implementation of a scooter share scheme. Emerg Med Australas. 2019;31(6):930-934. doi:10.1111/1742-6723.13356
5. Linhart C, Jägerhuber L, Ehrnthaller C, et al. E-scooter accidents-epidemiology and injury patterns: 3-year results from a level 1 trauma center in Germany. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2024;144(4):1621-1626. doi:10.1007/s00402-024-05209-5
6. 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(6):1133-1138. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2019.03.049
7. Blomberg SNF, Rosenkrantz OCM, Lippert F, Collatz Christensen H. Injury from electric scooters in Copenhagen: a retrospective cohort study. BMJ Open. 2019;9(12):e033988. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033988
8. Puzio TJ, Murphy PB, Gazzetta J, et al. The electric scooter: A surging new mode of transportation that comes with risk to riders. Traffic Inj Prev. 2020;21(2):175-178. doi:10.1080/15389588.2019.1709176
9. Haworth NL, Schramm A. Illegal and risky riding of electric scooters in Brisbane. Med J Aust. 2019;211(9):412-413. doi:10.5694/mja2.50275
10. Brownson AB, Fagan PV, Dickson S, Civil ID. Electric scooter injuries at Auckland City Hospital. N Z Med J. 2019;132(1505):62-72.
11. Coelho A, Feito P, Corominas L, et al. Electric Scooter-Related Injuries: A New Epidemic in Orthopedics. J Clin Med. 2021;10(15):3283. doi:10.3390/jcm10153283
12. Goh EZ, Beech N, Johnson NR. E-Scooters and Craniofacial Trauma: A Systematic Review. Craniomaxillofac Trauma Reconstr. 2023;16(3):245-253. doi:10.1177/19433875221118790
13. Dhillon NK, Juillard C, Barmparas G, et al. Electric Scooter Injury in Southern California Trauma Centers. J Am Coll Surg. 2020;231(1):133-138. doi:10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2020.02.047
14. Moati S, Tavor O, Capua T, et al. The Incidence and Severity of Pediatric Injuries Sustained by Electric Bikes and Powered Scooters: The Experience of an Urban, Tertiary Pediatric Emergency Department. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2025;41(2):77-85. doi:10.1097/PEC.0000000000003258
15. Abu-Kishk A, Kozer E, Berkowiz RB, Ben-Ari M, Abu-Kishk I. Electric scooter related injuries among children: a single institutional experience. BMC Pediatr. 2025;25(1):787. doi:10.1186/s12887-025-06181-8
16. Cohen LL, Geller JS, Yang BW, Allegra PR, Dodds SD. Pediatric injuries related to electric scooter use: a national database review. J Pediatr Orthop B. 2022;31(2):e241-e245. doi:10.1097/BPB.0000000000000879
17. Magee LC, Chan C, Talwar D, Maguire KJ, Horn BD. A Comparison of Motorized and Nonmotorized Scooter Injuries in Pediatric Patients Seen in US Emergency Departments. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2022;38(6):e1314-e1319. doi:10.1097/PEC.0000000000002706
18. Schuller A, Hohensteiner A, Sator T, et al. Paediatric e-scooter riders at high risk of life-threatening traffic accidents. Pediatr Res. 2025;97(6):1929-1934. doi:10.1038/s41390-024-03667-6
19. Sikka N, Vila C, Stratton M, Ghassemi M, Pourmand A. Sharing the sidewalk: A case of E-scooter related pedestrian injury. Am J Emerg Med. 2019;37(9):1807.e5-1807.e7. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2019.06.017
20. Siman-Tov M, Radomislensky I, Israel Trauma Group, Peleg K. The casualties from electric bike and motorized scooter road accidents. Traffic Injury Prevention. 2017;18(3):318-323. doi:10.1080/15389588.2016.1246723
21. Jafari A, Liu YC. Pedestrians’ safety using projected time-to-collision to electric scooters. Nat Commun. 2024;15(1):5701. doi:10.1038/s41467-024-50049-x
22. Beck S, Barker L, Chan A, Stanbridge S. Emergency department impact following the introduction of an electric scooter sharing service. Emerg Med Australas. 2020;32(3):409-415. doi:10.1111/1742-6723.13419
23. Faraji F, Lee JH, Faraji F, et al. Electric scooter craniofacial trauma. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2020;5(3):390-395. doi:10.1002/lio2.380
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Julia Modelska, Anita Jeleń, Anna Podolska, Karolina Paluchowicz, Katarzyna Siwicka, Konrad Szewczyk, Laura Janasik, Patrycja Kociucka, Krzysztof Sadowski
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 23
Number of citations: 0
