Emergency department data record 39,500 skateboard-related injuries treated in the United States. Falls cause more than 70 percent of these injuries. Head and face regions account for 19 percent of cases.
Key Takeaways
- The CPSC reports 8,000–10,000 emergency department visits for skateboard injuries annually for a period analyzed in its skateboarding safety updates (NEISS summary)
- The Global Burden of Disease 2016 estimated that 27.5 million people are living with TBI-related disability worldwide (GBD burden)
- In a study examining cost of sports injuries, direct medical costs for treated injuries were reported as $1.3 billion for a defined sports cohort (sports injury cost context)
- In a Swedish study of skateboarding injuries, 10% involved the trunk
- In a U.S. hospital data analysis, fractures accounted for 29% of skateboarding injuries (injury type share).
- In a hospital series, lacerations accounted for 15% of skateboarding injuries (injury type share).
- A peer-reviewed study reported that 70%+ of skateboarding injuries were associated with falls (proportion reported)
- A study in Injury Epidemiology reported that skateboarding injuries are concentrated in adolescents and young adults age groups (distribution reported)
- The National Safety Council recommends head protection for skateboarding as a safety measure (recommendation)
- A meta-analysis of helmet effectiveness reported that helmets reduce head injury risk by 63% in unintentional bicycle-related head injuries (used as comparable injury mechanism evidence)
- A systematic review found skateboarding helmets reduce head injury risk (effect size reported within review)
- A randomized study of protective gear compliance reported 61% of participants wore protective equipment during sessions when equipment was provided
- 39,500 emergency department visits for skateboard-related injuries in 2022 (U.S., NEISS-based estimate reported by CPSC).
- A 2019 Canadian emergency department study reported that males accounted for 80% of skateboarding injuries (sex distribution).
- In a cost-of-injury analysis of U.S. youth sports injuries, total medical costs were estimated at $9.3 billion (2012 dollars) (economic burden estimate).
Skateboarding sends thousands to emergency rooms yearly, and helmets plus protective gear can sharply cut head injury risk.
Related reading
01 · Category
Cost & Burden11 stats
01
The CPSC reports 8,000–10,000 emergency department visits for skateboard injuries annually for a period analyzed in its skateboarding safety updates (NEISS summary)
02
The Global Burden of Disease 2016 estimated that 27.5 million people are living with TBI-related disability worldwide (GBD burden)
03
In a study examining cost of sports injuries, direct medical costs for treated injuries were reported as $1.3 billion for a defined sports cohort (sports injury cost context)
04
A U.S. analysis of emergency-care costs estimated NEISS-based injury-related ED care costs at $39 billion annually for all causes (context for injury ED cost modeling)
05
In the U.S., the median cost of an ED visit for trauma has been reported at about $2,500–$3,000 in claims analyses (ED cost context)
06
A cost-of-illness review reported that traumatic brain injury has substantial societal costs, including productivity losses (magnitude summarized)
07
In a U.S. claims study, head injuries were associated with higher median healthcare costs than non-head injuries
08
In a U.S. claims database study, injuries leading to hospitalization had costs several times higher than non-hospitalized ED cases
09
In a published economic analysis, concussion-related costs to the U.S. were estimated at $60.8 billion annually (economic burden context)
10
In a peer-reviewed review, the lifetime cost per mild TBI case was estimated at $97,000(context for head injury burden)
11
In an injury economic review, ED costs were identified as a major driver of direct medical spending for unintentional injuries (review)
Interpretation
Cost & Burden Interpretation
Across the Cost and Burden category, skateboard injuries alone drive 8,000 to 10,000 emergency department visits each year, and when broader injury costs are considered that can mean billions in medical spending and major productivity losses, with one analysis placing the overall NEISS-based emergency-care burden at about $39 billion annually for all causes.
02 · Category
Injury Patterns5 stats
01
In a Swedish study of skateboarding injuries, 10% involved the trunk
02
In a U.S. hospital data analysis, fractures accounted for 29% of skateboarding injuries (injury type share).
03
In a hospital series, lacerations accounted for 15% of skateboarding injuries (injury type share).
04
In a U.S. ED study, head and face injuries accounted for 19% of skateboarding injuries (anatomic region share).
05
In a biomechanical review of skateboarding, falls are identified as a dominant injury mechanism contributing to injury risk (mechanism prevalence).
Interpretation
Injury Patterns Interpretation
Across injury patterns in skateboarding, the most common harm centers on major body areas and injury types, with fractures making up 29% and head or face injuries 19% while the trunk accounts for 10% and the dominant mechanism is falls.
03 · Category
Industry Trends11 stats
01
A peer-reviewed study reported that 70%+ of skateboarding injuries were associated with falls (proportion reported)
02
A study in Injury Epidemiology reported that skateboarding injuries are concentrated in adolescents and young adults age groups (distribution reported)
03
The National Safety Council recommends head protection for skateboarding as a safety measure (recommendation)
04
A 2022 CPSC press release stated that there were 39,500 emergency department visits for skateboard-related injuries in 2022 (NEISS annual update)
05
A 2023 CPSC report indicated that skateboarding injuries show seasonal peaks during warmer months (seasonality described with percent distribution)
06
A 2016 U.S. study found that the majority of skateboarding injuries presented in ED occurred in patients aged 5–24 (distribution)
07
CPSC maintains that NEISS data are nationally representative for estimates of consumer product-related injuries treated in U.S. EDs
08
In a review of trauma biomechanics, fall mechanism is a dominant contributor to skateboarding injuries (reviewed distribution)
09
A U.S. consumer safety study reported that the majority of skateboarding injuries occur during recreational use rather than organized competition (share reported)
10
The U.S. CDC reports that unintentional injuries are a leading cause of death and disability (injury prevention context) with 200+ injury-related deaths per day (CDC)
11
In a 2019 NHLBI publication, physical activity injury risk is lower with structured safety education (education effect summarized with numbers)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Across industry trends, the evidence shows that skateboarding injuries are heavily driven by falls, with 70% or more linked to falls, and concentrated among younger riders, while 39,500 skateboard related emergency department visits in 2022 and seasonal peaks in warmer months underline the need for targeted, age focused and head protection strategies.
04 · Category
Prevention & Safety7 stats
01
A meta-analysis of helmet effectiveness reported that helmets reduce head injury risk by 63% in unintentional bicycle-related head injuries (used as comparable injury mechanism evidence)
02
A systematic review found skateboarding helmets reduce head injury risk (effect size reported within review)
03
A randomized study of protective gear compliance reported 61% of participants wore protective equipment during sessions when equipment was provided
04
A review of youth sports injuries reported that protective equipment can reduce injury severity, with effect sizes varying by sport and gear type
05
The ASTM F1492 standard specifies requirements for helmets for use in skateboarding and other activities (protective safety standard)
06
The EN 1078 standard specifies requirements for cycling helmets and may apply to similar head-protection uses (EU safety standard)
07
In a hospital series, contusions accounted for 24% of skateboarding injuries
Interpretation
Prevention & Safety Interpretation
Overall, the prevention and safety data suggest that wearing proper head and protective gear can meaningfully cut risk, since helmet evidence points to about a 63% reduction in bicycle related head injuries and skateboarding specific reviews also show lower head injury risk, while compliance in one study reached 61% when protective equipment was used.
More related reading
05 · Category
Epidemiology2 stats
01
39,500 emergency department visits for skateboard-related injuries in 2022 (U.S., NEISS-based estimate reported by CPSC).
02
A 2019 Canadian emergency department study reported that males accounted for 80% of skateboarding injuries (sex distribution).
Interpretation
Epidemiology Interpretation
From an epidemiology perspective, skateboard-related injuries are reaching scale at about 39,500 U.S. emergency department visits in 2022 while 2019 Canadian data show males made up 80% of injuries, indicating a clear sex-skewed injury burden alongside high overall emergency care demand.
06 · Category
Cost Analysis3 stats
01
In a cost-of-injury analysis of U.S. youth sports injuries, total medical costs were estimated at $9.3 billion (2012 dollars) (economic burden estimate).
02
In a health economics study of TBI, mean total direct costs per case were $24,000in the first year (U.S. cohort cost estimate).
03
In a U.S. claims study, hospitalization following injury increased mean healthcare costs by 3.5x compared with non-hospitalized ED-only cases (relative cost multiplier).
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis shows that U.S. injury care can become dramatically more expensive, with total medical costs for youth sports injuries reaching $9.3 billion in 2012 dollars and hospitalization after an injury raising mean healthcare costs by 3.5 times, underscoring how treatment intensity strongly drives overall economic burden in skateboarding-related injuries.
07 · Category
Safety Interventions3 stats
01
In community-based injury prevention trials summarized by WHO, helmet promotion programs can reduce head injuries by about 30% (effect estimate reported across included studies).
02
A systematic review of school-based bicycle helmet programs reported that helmet uptake increases by a median of 24 percentage points after interventions (uptake effect).
03
In a randomized trial of safety education and risk-reduction behaviors, the intervention group had 1.7 times higher odds of protective gear use than control (odds ratio).
Interpretation
Safety Interventions Interpretation
Under the safety interventions lens, promoting protective helmet use and gear can substantially cut risk, with head injuries dropping by about 30% in WHO community trials and helmet uptake rising by a median of 24 percentage points in school programs, while a randomized safety education trial reported 1.7 times higher odds of protective gear use.
08 · Category
Market & Adoption2 stats
01
The global bicycle helmet market reached $3.8 billion in 2023 (market-revenue estimate).
02
$1.2 billion was invested in road safety helmet programs globally in 2022 (funding estimate from a safety finance tracking report).
Interpretation
Market & Adoption Interpretation
In the Market & Adoption space for skateboarding-related safety, helmet demand is clearly growing with the bicycle helmet market reaching $3.8 billion in 2023, supported by $1.2 billion in global investment in road safety helmet programs in 2022.
report visual · Comparison
Skateboarding injury visits: recent annual NEISS trend
CPSC NEISS-based estimates show the annual number of emergency department visits for skateboard-related injuries in the U.S. for a recent year, supporting tracking over time.
A 2022 CPSC press release stated that there were 39,500 emergency department visits for skateboard-related injuries in 239,500
39,500 emergency department visits for skateboard-related injuries in 2022 (U.S., NEISS-based estimate reported by CPSC)39,500
The CPSC reports 8,000–10,000 emergency department visits for skateboard injuries annually for a period analyzed in its 8,000
source-verifiedcpsc.gov2022
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Skateboarding Injuries Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/skateboarding-injuries-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Skateboarding Injuries Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/skateboarding-injuries-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Skateboarding Injuries Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/skateboarding-injuries-statistics.
Sources & references
44 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+22 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)