Zooming through city streets on an electric scooter might feel like flying, but with staggering statistics showing a 98% surge in U.S. injuries and an estimated one in every 100 trips ending in a crash, understanding safety is more urgent than ever.
Key Takeaways
- In 2021, the US saw approximately 37,000 emergency department visits due to e-scooter injuries, a 98% increase from 2018.
- Portland, Oregon reported 683 e-scooter crashes in the first year of dockless scooter deployment (2018-2019).
- A study in Indianapolis found 68% of e-scooter crashes involved riders hitting potholes or uneven surfaces.
- Head injuries account for 40% of e-scooter related ER visits in the US (2021).
- Arm and wrist fractures represent 25% of e-scooter injuries per NEISS 2020 data.
- 55% of e-scooter injuries are upper extremity in adults over 25.
- 75% of e-scooter riders in crashes are male aged 18-34.
- Only 2% of e-scooter riders consistently wear helmets per national survey.
- 68% of crashes involve riders under influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Helmet laws reduce head injury risk by 85% where enforced.
- Post-helmet mandate, e-scooter head injuries dropped 48% in Seattle.
- Only 6% compliance with voluntary helmet recommendations.
- Paved bike lanes reduce e-scooter crashes by 40%.
- Poor lighting on roads contributes to 35% of nighttime incidents.
- Potholes cause 28% of single-vehicle e-scooter crashes.
Electric scooter injuries are rising sharply, often due to reckless and unprotected riding.
Crash Rates
- In 2021, the US saw approximately 37,000 emergency department visits due to e-scooter injuries, a 98% increase from 2018.
- Portland, Oregon reported 683 e-scooter crashes in the first year of dockless scooter deployment (2018-2019).
- A study in Indianapolis found 68% of e-scooter crashes involved riders hitting potholes or uneven surfaces.
- In Washington DC, e-scooter crashes increased by 55% from 2019 to 2020 despite pandemic lockdowns.
- Nashville's 2022 data showed 1,200 e-scooter incidents, with 40% occurring at night.
- A national analysis estimated 1 in 100 e-scooter trips ends in a crash requiring medical attention.
- Los Angeles reported 2,500 e-scooter collisions in 2021, up 120% from 2019.
- In Austin, TX, 75% of e-scooter crashes happened within 500 feet of scooter parking zones.
- UK data from 2022 indicated 1,044 e-scooter crashes on public roads.
- Sydney, Australia logged 450 e-scooter incidents in the first 6 months of trial in 2020.
- A meta-analysis found e-scooter crash rates at 15.1 per 100,000 trips globally.
- Chicago's 2023 pilot saw 320 reported e-scooter crashes in 4 months.
- In Europe, 2022 saw 2,500 e-scooter hospital admissions from crashes.
- San Francisco reported 1,800 e-scooter related police reports in 2021.
- A study of 1,000 e-scooter users found 22% experienced a crash within 3 months.
- Atlanta's data showed 950 e-scooter crashes in 2022, 60% involving vehicles.
- In 2020, e-scooter crashes accounted for 3% of all micromobility incidents in US cities.
- Denver reported 1,100 e-scooter crashes during 2021 shared program.
- A global review estimated 10,000 e-scooter crashes annually in urban areas.
- Minneapolis logged 520 e-scooter incidents in 2022 pilot year.
- In 2022, e-scooter crashes made up 12% of all bike-share incidents in NYC.
- Seattle's 2021 data: 780 e-scooter crashes, 45% single-vehicle.
- A survey of 5,000 riders found 18% crash rate over 12 months.
- Paris reported 1,200 e-scooter accidents in 2021 before ban.
- Boston's pilot: 410 crashes in first year (2022).
- E-scooter crashes rose 300% in US from 2017-2021 per NEISS data.
- In 2023, 1,500 e-scooter crashes reported in London trials.
- Dallas data: 890 incidents in 2022 shared fleet.
- A study found e-scooter crash risk 4x higher than bikes per mile.
- Vancouver reported 380 e-scooter crashes in 2022 pilot.
Crash Rates Interpretation
It appears the streets have become a crash course in physics, proving with alarming regularity that a cocktail of potholes, poor decisions, and pavement does not a smooth ride make.
Helmet Usage
- Helmet laws reduce head injury risk by 85% where enforced.
- Post-helmet mandate, e-scooter head injuries dropped 48% in Seattle.
- Only 6% compliance with voluntary helmet recommendations.
- Helmets reduce severe head trauma by 69% in e-scooter falls.
- 94% of fatally injured e-scooter riders were unhelmeted.
- Mandatory helmets increased usage to 85% in Paris trials.
- Bicycle helmets fit 92% of e-scooter riders adequately.
- Head injury rate 3.5x higher without helmets per NEISS.
- 11% of helmeted riders still sustain minor head injuries.
- Enforcement of helmet laws cuts ER visits by 22%.
- 78% of riders own helmets but don't use them on scooters.
- Proper helmet fit reduces rotational brain injury by 54%.
- Youth helmet usage 15% vs 3% for adults on e-scooters.
- Apps prompting helmet use boost compliance by 40%.
- 65% head injury reduction in low-speed crashes with helmets.
- Non-standard helmets (e.g., beanies) used in 5% of riders.
- Helmet mandates correlate with 30% drop in TBI admissions.
- 88% of surveyed riders would wear helmets if provided free.
- Multi-impact helmets reduce repeat injury risk by 60%.
- 2% of rental scooters come with helmets included.
- Awareness campaigns increase helmet use by 25% short-term.
- Helmets prevent 85% of facial fractures in crashes.
- Female riders 1.2x more likely to wear helmets than males.
- 70% of helmet non-users cite inconvenience as reason.
- MIPS technology in helmets cuts brain injury by 40% more.
- Post-crash helmet damage in 45% of users, needing replacement.
- 55% reduction in hospital costs with helmet use.
Helmet Usage Interpretation
These statistics clearly prove that while helmets are remarkably effective at saving lives and brains, the real head-scratcher isn't the science but our own stubborn refusal to simply put the damn things on.
Infrastructure Impacts
- Paved bike lanes reduce e-scooter crashes by 40%.
- Poor lighting on roads contributes to 35% of nighttime incidents.
- Potholes cause 28% of single-vehicle e-scooter crashes.
- Protected lanes lower injury risk by 60% vs street riding.
- Uneven sidewalks lead to 22% of pedestrian path falls.
- Wider lanes (over 10ft) reduce vehicle-scooter conflicts by 50%.
- Lack of parking corrals causes 15% of sidewalk clutter crashes.
- Road markings visibility cuts wrong-way riding by 30%.
- Speed bumps increase e-scooter tip-overs by 25%.
- Bike lane buffers reduce dooring incidents by 70%.
- Gravel surfaces triple crash risk vs asphalt.
- Traffic calming (roundabouts) lowers speeds, cutting severity 45%.
- Missing crosswalk ramps cause 18% of intersection crashes.
- LED road studs reduce night crashes by 20%.
- Narrow bridges increase passing conflicts by 35%.
- Raised bike lanes drop fall risks by 55%.
- Wet manhole covers slip factor in 12% of rain crashes.
- Dedicated scooter zones reduce clutter hazards by 40%.
- Humpback bridges (camber) cause 8% of balance losses.
- Shared paths with peds increase conflicts by 32%.
- Bollard protections cut vehicle encroachment by 65%.
- Grated bridges cause tire slips in 10% of crossings.
- Speed limit signage compliance improves 25% with enforcement.
- Cobblestone streets elevate crash risk 4x.
- Green wave signals for micromobility reduce stops 30%.
Infrastructure Impacts Interpretation
The data shouts that we can engineer a city's chaos into order, for nearly every grim statistic on e-scooter peril is neatly countered by a hopeful one on the power of thoughtful infrastructure.
Injury Profiles
- Head injuries account for 40% of e-scooter related ER visits in the US (2021).
- Arm and wrist fractures represent 25% of e-scooter injuries per NEISS 2020 data.
- 55% of e-scooter injuries are upper extremity in adults over 25.
- Facial lacerations occur in 15% of e-scooter crashes per Portland study.
- Spinal injuries from e-scooters rose 150% from 2018-2021 in US hospitals.
- 30% of e-scooter ER visits involve concussions or TBIs.
- Lower leg fractures make up 18% of pediatric e-scooter injuries.
- Dental injuries reported in 8% of e-scooter trauma cases in DC.
- 65% of severe e-scooter injuries occur without helmet use.
- Chest and abdominal trauma in 12% of multi-vehicle e-scooter crashes.
- Ankle sprains and fractures: 22% of all e-scooter injuries per 2022 NEISS.
- Eye injuries from e-scooters: 5% of ER visits, often from falls.
- 45% of e-scooter injuries require hospitalization over 24 hours.
- Hand and finger injuries: 10% of cases, mostly from braking.
- Pelvic fractures rare but 3% of severe e-scooter traumas.
- 28% of e-scooter injuries in females are hip-related.
- Soft tissue injuries (bruises, abrasions) in 50% of minor crashes.
- Traumatic brain injuries: 11 per 1,000 e-scooter ER visits.
- Shoulder dislocations: 7% of upper body e-scooter injuries.
- Knee ligament tears in 9% of e-scooter falls per LA study.
- Rib fractures from e-scooters: 4% of chest traumas.
- 35% of injuries occur to extremities in riders under 18.
- Concussion rates 2x higher in e-scooter vs bicycle crashes.
- Jaw fractures: 2% of facial injuries from e-scooter accidents.
- Back strains: 14% of non-fracture e-scooter injuries.
- 52% of hospitalized e-scooter patients had orthopedic injuries.
- Nerve injuries (e.g., radial nerve palsy) in 1.5% of arm traumas.
Injury Profiles Interpretation
While your head is statistically the most popular item to damage on an e-scooter, your body thoughtfully provides a comprehensive menu of other vulnerable options, from teeth to toes, ensuring that reckless riding is a full-contact sport with impressively high medical billing potential.
User Behaviors
- 75% of e-scooter riders in crashes are male aged 18-34.
- Only 2% of e-scooter riders consistently wear helmets per national survey.
- 68% of crashes involve riders under influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Nighttime riding without lights contributes to 40% of incidents.
- Speeding over 15 mph occurs in 55% of high-severity crashes.
- 82% of riders multitask (phone use) during e-scooter trips.
- Single riders account for 85% of e-scooter accidents.
- 45% of crashes happen when riders ignore traffic signals.
- Helmet non-use rate: 97% among injured e-scooter users.
- 60% of riders weave through traffic unsafely.
- Alcohol involvement in 20% of e-scooter fatalities.
- 70% of crashes due to improper mounting/dismounting.
- Phone distraction in 35% of observed rider behaviors.
- 50% of riders exceed posted speed limits in shared programs.
- No hands riding observed in 25% of unsafe maneuvers.
- 65% of injured riders report no prior safety training.
- Swerving to avoid obstacles in 48% of single-vehicle crashes.
- 30% of riders carry passengers illegally.
- Fatigue contributes to 15% of late-night e-scooter incidents.
- Ignoring sidewalks bans in 40% of pedestrian conflict crashes.
- 55% of crashes linked to poor balance or inexperience.
- Earbuds/headphones used in 28% of distracted riders.
- 75% of high-speed crashes involve males 21-30.
- No reflective gear in 90% of nighttime riders.
- 42% ride against traffic flow in one-way streets.
- Overloading scooters (extra weight) in 12% of tip-over crashes.
- 38% of riders fail to signal turns.
User Behaviors Interpretation
It appears the most hazardous accessory for an electric scooter is not the lack of a helmet, but a cocktail of invincible youth, a disregard for rules, and a phone full of notifications.
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