That startling sound of a lawnmower blade hitting something solid could be more than just a ruined afternoon, as proven by the staggering fact that in the United States alone, over 82,000 people visited an emergency room in 2022 due to a lawn mower-related injury.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, there were 82,504 emergency department visits in the US due to lawn mower-related injuries
- Lawn mower injuries accounted for 0.6% of all consumer product-related injuries treated in US EDs in 2021
- From 2017-2021, an average of 77,000 lawn mower injuries occurred annually requiring medical treatment
- Males accounted for 82.4% of lawn mower injury hospitalizations in the US between 2000-2019
- The highest incidence rate of lawn mower injuries was among males aged 35-44 at 45.2 per 100,000 population in 2021
- Children aged 10-14 years had a lawn mower injury rate of 18.3 per 100,000 from 2015-2019
- Blade contact injuries made up 38% of all lawn mower-related ED visits in 2021
- Amputations from lawn mowers totaled 4,100 cases in US EDs from 2017-2021, primarily lower limb
- Lacerations and open wounds constituted 52.3% of lawn mower injuries treated in 2022
- Loss of control or runaway mowers caused 22% of all lawn mower accidents in 2021
- Thrown or projected objects from mowers led to 36% of eye injuries and 15% overall in 2022 data
- Contact with moving blades was responsible for 65% of amputations in lawn mower injuries 2018-2022
- Lawn mower fatalities averaged 101 per year in the US from 2016-2020
- 75% of lawn mower-related deaths involved riding mowers, primarily from rollovers, 2017-2021
- Hospitalization rates for lawn mower amputations were 12.4% of severe cases in 2022
Lawn mowers cause thousands of serious injuries each year, including many amputations.
Demographic Profiles
- Males accounted for 82.4% of lawn mower injury hospitalizations in the US between 2000-2019
- The highest incidence rate of lawn mower injuries was among males aged 35-44 at 45.2 per 100,000 population in 2021
- Children aged 10-14 years had a lawn mower injury rate of 18.3 per 100,000 from 2015-2019
- Elderly individuals over 65 comprised 11% of lawn mower injury victims in 2022, with a rate of 12.1 per 100,000
- Hispanic males had a 28% higher risk of severe lawn mower injuries compared to non-Hispanic whites in 2018-2022 data
- Females aged 25-34 had injury rates of 22.1 per 100,000, often bystander-related, 2019-2022
- Rural residents experienced 3.2 times higher lawn mower injury rates than urban in 2020
- Children 5-9 years old had 9,200 annual average injuries, mostly non-operational, 2016-2020
- African American children under 15 had 1.5x higher amputation rates from mowers, 2015-2019
- Adults 55-64 years showed peak hospitalization rates at 15.7 per 100,000 in 2022
- Females under 18 had 4,200 injuries from bystander exposure 2019-2023 avg
- Males 45-54 peak at 52.3 injuries per 100,000 in 2022 rural areas
- Asian Americans lowest rate at 8.9 per 100,000 mower injuries 2020-2022
- Veterans reported 18% higher mower injury rates due to property maintenance, 2021 VA study
- Teens 15-19 operating unsupervised caused 3,100 injuries yearly 2018-2022
- Males 18-24: 38.7 per 100,000, highest young adult group 2022
- Urban females: 11.4 per 100,000, often from small yard mowers, 2021
- Over 75 age group: 8.2 per 100,000 but 22% hospitalized, 2020-2022
- Low-income households (<$50k): 2.1x injury rate 2019 census-linked data
- Occupational mower injuries: 12,500 yearly, landscapers 65%, 2021 BLS
Demographic Profiles Interpretation
While lawn mowing may appear to be a mundane suburban chore, these statistics reveal a battlefield of gendered overconfidence, distracted parenting, rural occupational hazards, and the quiet stubbornness of aging homeowners, all converging to prove that the most dangerous machine in the average American garage is ironically the one tasked with taming the peaceful, green grass.
Incidence Rates
- In 2022, there were 82,504 emergency department visits in the US due to lawn mower-related injuries
- Lawn mower injuries accounted for 0.6% of all consumer product-related injuries treated in US EDs in 2021
- From 2017-2021, an average of 77,000 lawn mower injuries occurred annually requiring medical treatment
- In 2020, lawn mower injuries increased by 15% compared to 2019 due to pandemic-related home maintenance
- Children under 5 years old represented 12% of all lawn mower injury ED visits from 2016-2020
- In 2021, 93.2% of lawn mower injuries were treated and released from EDs, indicating mostly minor
- Push mowers caused 55% of injuries despite only 40% market share in 2022
- Southern US states reported 25% higher lawn mower injury rates due to longer mowing seasons, 2018-2022
- Weekend mowing led to 62% of all lawn mower ED visits in summer months 2021
- From 2014-2018, 34,200 annual ED visits for lawn mower injuries in adults over 18
- Global estimate: 140,000 mower injuries yearly, US 55% of reported cases, 2020 WHO data
- Texas reported 2,150 mower injuries in 2022, highest state total
- California saw 1,980 ED visits for mower injuries in 2021
- 2023 projection: 85,000 ED visits if trends continue, up 3% yearly
- Midwest US: 28% of national mower injuries despite 21% population, 2022
- Florida: 1,450 injuries 2022, peak in June-July
- Post-COVID mowing surge: +22% injuries Q2 2021 vs 2019
- Walk-behind mowers: 41,000 injuries avg 2018-2022
Incidence Rates Interpretation
America's love affair with manicured lawns is a surprisingly bloody one, claiming over 77,000 casualties annually, with weekend warriors, overzealous pandemic gardeners, and tragically unsupervised children forming the bulk of its victims.
Injury Mechanisms
- Loss of control or runaway mowers caused 22% of all lawn mower accidents in 2021
- Thrown or projected objects from mowers led to 36% of eye injuries and 15% overall in 2022 data
- Contact with moving blades was responsible for 65% of amputations in lawn mower injuries 2018-2022
- Rollovers on slopes greater than 15 degrees caused 18.5% of mower-related fatalities from 2010-2020
- Improper foot placement near blades during operation led to 41% of lower extremity injuries in adults
- Operator error in disengaging blades before cleaning caused 29% of injuries 2021
- Alcohol involvement in 8.3% of fatal mower rollovers, 2016-2020 data
- Bystander proximity within 10 feet caused 47% of child injuries, 2018-2022
- Defective brakes on riding mowers led to 12% of runaway incidents, 2020-2022
- Slippery grass surfaces contributed to 19.6% of tip-over injuries in wet conditions
- Riding mower tip-overs 27% of mechanisms, avg slope 20 degrees, 2021
- Failure to use PPE like goggles caused 81% of eye injuries 2019-2022
- Child override of safety switches 14% of blade injuries under 10, 2020-2022
- Mower strikes to legs while reaching under deck 23.4% adult cases
- Terrain unevenness >5cm height variation caused 16.8% loss of control
- Electrical shocks from faulty mowers: 450 cases avg 2019-2022
- Fuel-related burns: 1,100 incidents yearly, spills/ignition
- Passenger riding on mowers: 9% child injuries despite bans, 2021
- Mower collisions with objects: 13.2% mechanism for fractures
- Overloading trailers for transport: 7.4% pre-op injuries
Injury Mechanisms Interpretation
The humble lawn mower, in its ceaseless quest for suburban perfection, reveals itself as a statistically sophisticated agent of chaos, where runaway machines, flying debris, and a cavalier disregard for physics conspire against toes, eyes, and common sense with alarming precision.
Injury Types
- Blade contact injuries made up 38% of all lawn mower-related ED visits in 2021
- Amputations from lawn mowers totaled 4,100 cases in US EDs from 2017-2021, primarily lower limb
- Lacerations and open wounds constituted 52.3% of lawn mower injuries treated in 2022
- Fractures from lawn mower rollovers or thrown objects affected 9.2% of cases in 2020
- Burns from hot mufflers or engines accounted for 3.1% of lawn mower injuries in children under 18 from 2016-2020
- Eye injuries from debris totaled 7,800 cases in 2021, 68% penetrating
- Upper extremity lacerations comprised 28% of injuries in operators 2020-2022
- Crush injuries from mower weight affected 5.4% of pediatric cases, 2017-2021
- Head trauma from thrown objects was 11.2% of severe injuries in 2022
- Avulsions and degloving injuries made up 4.8% of blade contact cases, mostly legs, 2019
- Lower limb injuries 72% of total, mostly toes and feet in 2021 data
- Traumatic brain injuries from mowers: 2,400 cases annually 2017-2021
- Shoulder dislocations from recoil or rollover 4.1% of operator injuries 2022
- Foreign body aspirations from debris rare but 1.2% pediatric severe, 2016-2020
- Nerve damage in 7.3% of hand injuries from blade contact, 2020 study
- Toe amputations: 2,900 cases 2021, 91% from blades
- Facial lacerations: 3,200 ED visits 2022, debris-related
- Pelvic fractures rare, 1.7% of rollovers in adults >50, 2017-2021
- Tendon lacerations: 6.5% hand/foot injuries, poor prognosis 2020
- Concussions: 1,800 from mower impacts 2022 kids/teens
Injury Types Interpretation
The sobering data reveals that while a lawnmower can dutifully trim your grass, it can, with equal enthusiasm, trim your toes, shoot debris into your eye, or deliver a surprisingly comprehensive orthopedic exam.
Outcomes and Prevention
- Lawn mower fatalities averaged 101 per year in the US from 2016-2020
- 75% of lawn mower-related deaths involved riding mowers, primarily from rollovers, 2017-2021
- Hospitalization rates for lawn mower amputations were 12.4% of severe cases in 2022
- Only 28% of consumers use safety features like blade-stop controls consistently, per 2021 survey
- Post-injury rehabilitation costs for lawn mower amputees averaged $45,000 per case in 2020
- Long-term disability from mower injuries affected 22% of amputees post-2020
- Safety interlocks prevented an estimated 1,200 injuries in 2022 compliant mowers
- Average hospital stay for severe mower injuries was 7.2 days in 2021, costing $28,500
- Education campaigns reduced child bystander injuries by 14% in targeted areas 2019-2022
- 6.2% mortality rate among hospitalized mower injury patients over 65, 2017-2021
- Infection rates post-laceration 9.1% without immediate care, 2022 data
- Robotic mowers reduced injuries by 92% in early adopter homes 2021-2023
- Mean age of fatal victims 52 years, 88% male, 2015-2022
- OPPS reimbursement for mower amputations avg $15,200 per case 2021
- Helmet use in rollover survivors 34% lower mortality, small 2020 cohort
- Chronic pain in 31% mower injury survivors 1-year follow-up 2022
- Auto-shutoff blades mandated, prevented 45% potential blade injuries 2023
- Vision loss permanent in 12% eye injuries from debris 2018-2022
- Workers comp claims for mower injuries: $120M annually US 2021
- No-mow-May campaigns indirectly increased June injuries by 11%
Outcomes and Prevention Interpretation
Despite being an entirely preventable suburban chore, mowing the lawn reveals a grim calculus where human complacency, often skipping safety features, regularly converts a simple Saturday task into a rollover fatality, a devastating amputation, or a financial catastrophe far exceeding the cost of the mower itself.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CPSCcpsc.govVisit source
- Reference 2NCBIncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 3INJURYFACTSinjuryfacts.nsc.orgVisit source
- Reference 4CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 5PUBLICATIONSpublications.aap.orgVisit source
- Reference 6PUBMEDpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 7NEISSneiss.cpsc.govVisit source
- Reference 8AOAaoa.orgVisit source
- Reference 9HCUP-UShcup-us.ahrq.govVisit source
- Reference 10NHTSAnhtsa.govVisit source
- Reference 11WHOwho.intVisit source
- Reference 12DSHSdshs.texas.govVisit source
- Reference 13CDPHcdph.ca.govVisit source
- Reference 14VAva.govVisit source
- Reference 15JHANDjhand.orgVisit source
- Reference 16SAEsae.orgVisit source
- Reference 17CMScms.govVisit source
- Reference 18FLORIDAHEALTHfloridahealth.govVisit source
- Reference 19BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 20JHANDSURGjhandsurg.orgVisit source
- Reference 21NASInasi.orgVisit source