Scooters Pose Serious Safety Risks for Riders Across the Country

Nov 05,2019

*This post was originally published October 12th, 2018 and has been updated with new information.

Electric Scooters and Safety Risks

Emergency room doctors are constantly kept on their toes with the emergence of new trends. One of the latest trends landing people in the hospital is motorized scooters, which have arrived in cities across the country over the past year, overnight in some cases.

The University of Utah Health has reported a 161% increase in scooter-related ER visits in the past year. Broken bones and abrasions are among the common injuries, but traumatic brain injuries are also becoming increasingly common in motorized scooter accidents.

A new study by the Center for Disease Control and the Public Health and Transportation Department in Austin, Texas, researched and explored scooter-related accidents between the months of September and November, 2018. With the data collected, the researchers concluded that there had been 271 electric scooter-related accidents over this three month period in Austin alone. Given the fact that there were approximately 936,110 e-scooter trips taken during this period, it was therefore determined that 20 out of every 100,000 scooter trips resulted in some form of injury.

While this study may only be specifically relevant to the city of Austin, it is relatively easy to take this data and reflect on how similar trends can occur in major urban centers across the country. The scooters travel up to 15 mph, which may not seem very fast to riders. However, riders can still suffer major injuries if they crash into something or are hit by a vehicle, even at lower speeds.

Exploring the Growth of Public Scooter Services

One of the major safety concerns with these motorized scooters turning up on streets via companies like Bird and Lime is the fact that most riders are not heeding the requirement to wear a helmet. Many are also disobeying basic traffic laws, such as riding on sidewalks, allowing children to ride the scooters, and creating a hazard by abandoning the scooters in the middle of sidewalks or at building entrances.

“The issues we’re seeing with motorized scooters go against decades of traffic safety advancements. Riders are endangering themselves and others by treating these scooters like toys instead of like vehicles,” said Attorney Walter Clark, founder of Walter Clark Legal Group.

Take a look at these related articles:

Emergency Rooms See Increase In Motorized Scooter Injuries

Motorized Scooter Rider Convicted of DUI in Los Angeles

Personal Injury Lawyers in Rancho Mirage

Our firm has been handling personal injury cases throughout the California Low Desert and High Desert communities for over 30 years. With a 95% success rate, the California personal injury attorneys at Walter Clark Legal Group will fight to hold those responsible for your loss accountable and win compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you have been injured in an accident and want to discuss your legal options, contact us today at (760) 777-7777 for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer. We have offices in Indio, Rancho Mirage, Victorville, El Centro, and Yucca Valley, and represent clients through the entire California Low Desert and High Desert communities.

DISCLAIMER: The Walter Clark Legal Group blog is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal or medical advice. References to laws are based on general legal practices and vary by location. Information reported comes from secondary news sources. We do handle these types of cases, but whether or not the individuals and/or loved ones involved in these accidents choose to be represented by a law firm is a personal choice we respect. Should you find any of the information incorrect, we welcome you to contact us with corrections.